64 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



reported to me that only one mascalonge was killed in taking the eggs. All of the 

 fish are liberated as soon as the eggs are taken from them. 



Many of the people making applications for mascalonge fry claim that mascalonge 

 are a native of many of their surrounding lakes, but the true mascalonge is found 

 only in five or six waters of the State. The great northern pike by many people is 

 supposed to be the mascalonge. Liberal plants should be made at Chautauqua Lake, 

 so as to keep it well supplied for future propagation. Very liberal plants should also 

 be made in the St. Lawrence River. 



The process of hatching mascalonge is entirely different from that employed with 

 any other fish eggs. They are hatched in boxes which are sunk in the lake. The 

 boxes are provided with a double screen, top and bottom. The inner screen is very 

 fine, so as to hold the young there. The outer screen is put on to prevent minnows 

 or small fish from sucking the eggs or fry through the bottom. If not protected in 

 this way, a large percentage of the fry and eggs would be destroyed before they were 

 ready to liberate. 



The importance of shad hatching cannot be overestimated ; but to meet with the 

 success desired, very radical changes in the methods of hatching must be made. The 

 old methods of hatching in the floating boxes or hatching in the fish car were very 

 undesirable. The objections against the floating hatching box are that most of the 

 channels around the islands located in the river near the shad spawning ground have 

 been filled up with dumpage from the dredges which are continually operating on the 

 Hudson River. In operating the shad-hatching box, it is desirable to have as pure 

 water as possible, and also a current, and this filling with the dumpage has destroyed 

 both the current and desirable water. If the boxes are located outside of the islands, 

 or the creeks, the wash from the large boats, which are continually passing, is very 

 damaging to the eggs. The eels and turtles also cause considerable annoyance, as well 

 as damage to the eggs. 



The objections to be raised against the State fish car Adirondack for hatching 

 shad are that during the shad-hatching season the car is in great demand for the 

 distribution of pike-perch fry throughout the State. 



My suggestions are that we locate at some point on the river, where we can take 

 water from the village or town water mains, erect a small building, and equip it with 

 the glass-hatching jars, either the Chase or the McDonald jar. It would not be neces- 

 sary to purchase an extra supply of these jars, as at that season jars that have been in 

 operation for the frost fish, white fish, tomcod, and smelt hatching are lying idle and 

 can be transported to a shad-hatching station. No better point could be found on the 

 Hudson River than at Catskill. Some of the best spawning grounds on the river are 

 located within the radius of a few miles of that place. 



