Conservation Commission. 197 



The eggs were slightly adhesive, or cohesive; they were in- 

 clined to stick to each other and not to other substances with 

 which they came in contact, as for example the egg pan; but by 

 a generous use of milt and gentle movement with a feather and 

 avoiding exposure to the air after water had been added, and 

 leaving them in the milted water for fifteen minutes this cohesion 

 was entirely overcome and they became completely separated. 



The milt of from 3 to 5 males was usually required to fer- 

 tilize the eggs of 1 female. The eggs hatched in from 10 to 15 

 days at a water temperature varying from 57 degrees to 65 de- 

 grees. The eggs taken on May 1st hatched in ten days at temper- 

 atures of 61 to 63 degrees. 



The fry or embryo, when first hatched is very helpless and 

 has a very large yolk sac in proportion to its length. The sac 

 is fully absorbed in about five days in a temperature of 61 to 65 

 degrees. These notes on the hatching of the pike in Lake George 

 are from the reports of Mr. Casselman. 



This experiment with the pike made a very favorable impres 1 - 

 sion upon the property-owners on Lake George, and the senti- 

 ment is very strongly in favor of continuing the operations. Dr. 

 Fielding, of Glens Falls, has recently purchased the ground at 

 the entrance to Dunham's bay creek, and he informed the Com- 

 mission that it could have the free use of the property for the 

 purpose of propagating pike or other fish for Lake George. He 

 realizes the need of restocking the lake and expressed his readi- 

 ness to aid in the work by giving this property for the use of 

 the State. 



Mr. E. B. Gardner, of Elmira, under date of January 25, 

 1911, states that northern pike are now found in Eldridge lake. 

 Some years ago one of the officials of the Northern Central rail- 

 road brought some pike from Sodus bay and placed them in the 

 lake, and lately they have been catching them. Mr. Gardner 

 says if there were not so many small fish in the lake for the pike 

 to feed on the sport would be great. A merchant last fall caught 

 one that weighed eight pounds by casting from the shore, and on 

 the night of January 24th a friend of Mr. Gardner brought into 

 his office one weighing five and one-half pounds that he had 

 caught fishing through the ice. This was the third pike caaght 



