192 First Annual Report of the 



The sturgeon were fed upon pond snails and crawfish, both of 

 which are abundant at Linlithgo. They consumed the snails in 

 very large quantities. They will also eat pieces of fresh fish, 

 although this is probably not a natural food for the species. 



One of the sturgeon was partly melanistic, the dark blotches 

 being numerous and very large. Thirty of the fish were sent to 

 the New York Aquarium where they are still living and in good 

 condition. 



The remaining sturgeon were liberated in the RoelifT Jansen 

 kill. 



It is the intention to take the short-nosed sturgeon again at 

 the proper time in the Hudson, and, if possible, collect the eggs 

 artificially and hatch them in a protected place. The fry can 

 be reared in a small pond free from fish enemies, and it is hoped 

 that the method will prove successful. 



Catfish. 



Catfish usually spawn in the month of May, and sometimes 

 continue until the middle of June. In open waters the parent 

 fish make holes under the banks and deposit the eggs in large 

 masses. The very young fish look like little black tadpoles. The 

 old fish accompanies the brood for a certain time, swimming 

 around the swarm to keep them together. At such times it would 

 be very easy to destroy the catfish by thousands. In Chautau- 

 qua lake the hatchery employees have caught thousands of pounds 

 at a time in pound nets set for maskalonge. It would seem that 

 by netting and by removing the swarms of young the fish could 

 easily be reduced to such an extent as to cease to be troublesome. 



According to a letter of the hatchery foreman dated May 9, 1911, 

 the pound nets set for maskalonge in Chautauqua lake do not now 

 take many catfish. The greatest number caught in any one net 

 in a night was seventy-five; fifteen would be a good average for 

 seven out of the eleven nets. 



Minnows. 



It is a very difficult thing to keep a large number of minnows 



in a small place. Fungus always attacks them; but it is not the 



cause of disease as it usually follows after some injury. The 



remedy for fungus is common salt. This may be placed in the 



