FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONER. 337 



of the water from each spring separately and using it independently so 

 that in case the disease breaks out it would not spread through the whole 

 water supply. 



Gill Inflammation 



On February 26, 1909, Mr. Davidson reported a good deal of trouble 

 from gill inflammation among three- year old rainbow trout, and one day 

 twelve fish were lost from this cause and on another day ten. The fish 

 had been fed on fresh liver all winter and had been treated with mud baths 

 without good results. Salt was afterward used successfully as a remedy. 



Trout Mortality 



On February 27, 1909, Mr. H. E. Annin reported that about three- 

 quarters of the brook trout eggs in the Delaware Hatchery were hatched 

 out, and that a good many of them, especially the older ones, were dying. 

 The trouble commenced by the heads and tails of fish drawing around 

 toward each other, the fish whirling around in a circle, and dying after a 

 little while. This is evidently due to a spinal disease and may originate 

 in the egg itself. 



On June 28, 1909, Foreman Otis reported the loss of quite a number 

 of brook trout. He could discover no sign of disease, but the fish would 

 swim up to the top of the water, roll over and die. He thought perhaps 

 the hot sun shining down on the covers of the races affected them. The 

 temperature of the water was about fifty degrees at the time. The small 

 weaker fish are chiefly involved. He used salt freely. These trout were 

 transferred to the out-door races quite early in the spring. 



Numerous complaints have been made of the loss of trout through 

 the Adirondack fires in 1908 to the office of the Commission. Messrs. 

 Bradford Bros., of Bangor wrote as follows: 



" We are sorry to report that the smoke nearly depleted the brook 

 (East branch of Little Salmon River) last fall. Hundreds of our stock lay 

 on the bottom and on the shores. There are a few of the large brown 

 trout left and a few of each kind left, brook and brown in the small spring 

 brook, where we planted them last season. It will take some time to get 

 the brook back where it was." 



