FOREST /r-'O STREAM. 



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Fish Hatching Apparatus.— Mr. Samuel Wilmot, of 

 the establishment at Newcastle, Canada, sends us the dia- 

 gram of a patent that he has secured for a -white fish 

 hatching apparatus, and -which we think so well of that 

 we present it herewith. Mr. Wilmot tells us that he has 

 had it going this winter and it answers beautifully. The 

 can, or hatching apparatus, is just eleven inches in diame- 

 ter, and about five or six inches deep, into which are put 

 100,000 white fish ova when first taken from the fish. It is 

 then set a going by turning a small tap, which lets in say 

 a I inch stream of water, depending much upou the head. 

 The eggs are put in motion by the action of the water, all 

 sediment and bad eggs are carried away, and the sound 

 ones are left as clean as when taken from the fish. Hand 

 picking is, therefore, almost done away with. Mr. Wil- 

 mot says:— 



"These self nickers and cleaners, with say five or six 

 millions of white fish eggs, will save the labor of four or 

 live hands daily, and will, at the same time, keep them 

 cleaner than it is possible to do with any amount of hand 

 washing. 1 have had some of these pickers going since 

 1st Nov. last; many of the young fry are now hatching 

 out. Therefore, the practical working of them is all that 

 could be needed." 



ABSTRACT OF THE SECOND ANNUAL 

 REPORT OF THE STATE COMMIS- 

 SIONERS AND SUPERINTENDENT 

 OF THE MICHIGAN STATE FISH- 

 ERIES. _ 



WE are indebted to Mr. Geo. II. Jerome, Superintend- 

 ent of State Fisheries, of a copy of the above 

 valuable and comprehensive report. As it covers the 

 operations for the year 1875-6, however, it is impossible 

 for us to more than glance at the work accomplished during 

 that period. 



Notwithstanding tlie fact that it is but little over three 

 years since the pisicultural woTk of the State was com- 

 menced, it is claimed that Michigan in the magnitude and 

 success of her fish cultural enterprises is the inferior of no 

 one of the twenty-two fish States. The great cordon of 

 lakes which fringes all the eastern, western and northern 

 boundaries, the grandest bodies of fresh water to be found 

 on the globe, gives her the laigest and finest water farm to 

 be found on the continent. 



Although some information has been received touching 

 the success of the various fish plantings, yet the informa- 

 tion is by no means as full as was hoped for, and as is de- 

 sired. Of the shad planting no very reliable returns have 



hitm sent in; nor, indeed, is it yet hardly time, to expect 

 news from them, as they are ever slow in reporting them- 

 selves, in New York and other States little or no trace of 

 them being discovered till the third or fourth year after 

 their deposit. Salmon have been caught in the St. Josephs 

 river with all the markings and characteristics of the At- 

 lantic salmon, and weighing about two pounds each. 

 Others have been taken in Lake Erie, which are supposed 

 to have been placed in the Unison Uiver by the Michigan 

 Commissioners in 1874. Favorable accounts have been 

 received from various quarters regarding the white-fish 

 planted. 



Of the varieties of fish at the Pokagon State Hatchery, 

 all have done fairly well. They have been fed resonably 

 well, but not regularly, fish meat not being always readily 

 obtainable. In"gencral health and growth the grayling- 

 stands, perhaps, number one. The specified trout are 

 barely second in the list. A healthier, handsomer collec- 

 tion of brook trout, have never been seen in any pond. 

 The California salmon, while apparently less healthy than 

 their cousins, the Atlantic salmon, have shown a larger 

 percentage of growth. Many of the California salmon are 

 from twelve to fifteen inches long. One, in the early part 

 of last October, about the average size, being found dead 

 in the pond, was opened, and in the ovaries were found 

 over 200 eggs of nearly full size, But the work to secure 

 white fish and lake trout spawn was so protracted and 

 tedious as to preclude the possibility of doing much else. 

 The land-locked salmon of the hatch of 1876 are not de- 

 veloping as it was believed they would, their growth be- 

 ing unexpectedly gradual. They however have been 

 placed at a disadvantage, being confined in a somewhat 

 limited preserve, and with a limited supply of fresh water, 

 while their salt water congeners, the Salmo Quinhat, of the 

 hatch of the same season, have occupied the large spring 

 ponds, with an abundauce of water, and consequently 

 have waxed much more fat and sizable than have the mem- 

 bers of the Schoodic family. 



Passing over that portion of the Ueport which refers to 

 the proceedings of 1875, we turn our attention more par- 

 ticularly to what was done during last year, although in 

 giving figures as to fry deposited the work of both years is 

 included. Of California salmon the Commissioner re- 

 ceived 800,000 eggs, which were hatched with but small 

 percentage of loss, and distributed in lots in no less than 

 sixty-eight different bodies of water. In addition to this 

 quantity, the St. Josephs river was further enriched by 

 113,000 fry of the same hatch which were intended for 

 Illinois, but having reached the Pokagon hatchery in a 

 suffering condition, were by order of Professor Milner 

 turned into that river. • 



Eighteen thousand eggs of the Schoodic or laud-locked 

 salmon were received in March, 1870, at Niles, from the 

 Bucksport (Maine) establishment, and after being hatched 

 were deposited in various lakes aud ponds. 



As might be expected, the great work of the Commission 

 was in connection wi'.k white fish, which, it is claimed, ex- 

 ceeds in extent the work of any fish State, and is un- 

 paralleled in age or country. The immense number of I 



nearly ten. million* of white fish (one million being equiva- 

 lent to the hatch of many millions of other varieties of 

 fish) were hatched and distributed. The hatching was 

 done at Detroit, and with the water of the city water 

 works, it having been found that the waters of the Detroit 

 river, notwithstanding their occasional turbid condition, 

 would be as suitable for the artificial hatching of the ova 

 as the iced spring water previously used. A lengthened 

 description of the taking of the ova is given, together with 

 tables showing the condition of the weather during the 

 hatcning. Four hundred and five female fish were 

 stripped, and of the male fish, or milters, a considerably 

 larger number, the impregnation being by what is called 

 the dry process. The eggs were obtained almost ex- 

 clusively at night, aud on impregnation were placed in 

 large cans, and early each morning taken by steamer to 

 Detroit aud placed in the hatching trays and boxes. The 

 spawners averaged very large, weighing from five to eight 

 pounds per fish. The process of incubation extends over 

 a period of five months, during which time the eggs are 

 carefully watched aud teuded. The first eggs hatched was 

 on the 1st of March, and the last on the 11th of April, and 

 at from eight to fifteen days old the fry were shipped for 

 Deposit. Nearly six pages of the Report are devoted to 

 enumerating the places of deposit and number of fish. 

 This may be summarized as follows: 



Total deposits in the inland lakes, 3,382,000; total de- 

 posits in Lake Erie, 450,000; total deposits in Lake Michi- 

 gan, 1,000,000; total deposits in St. Clair river, 500,000; 

 total deposits in the Detroit river, including the deposit in 

 Bough river, which is a small tributary of the Detroit 

 river, and -therefore a virtual plant in the great river, 3,- 

 978,000. 



The sum total of deposits, 9,310,000, to which should be 

 added as a proper part of the grist of the Detroit fac- 

 tory, 000,000 eggs, in an advanced staere of incubation, 

 donated to the Pish Commission of the State of Ohio, and 

 300,000 to the Commission of New York, thus aggregating, 

 as will be seen, a grand total of 10,210,000. Of this total, 

 however, 1,460,000 are a donation from Professor Baird, 

 being part of a lot hatched under direction of the United 

 States Commission at the Northville hatchery. Mr. 

 Jerome justly gives great credit to his assistants in this tre- 

 menduous hatching, Messrs. Chase and Bamsdell. 



With regard to other fish, the pickerel is given up as a 

 sort of fresh water devil fish, and his extermination would 

 be looked upon as a blossing. The grayling is a fish to 

 which much interest is attached, and the problem as to 

 whether their numbers arc to be increased by artificial 

 propagation will be solved at an early day. The black 

 bass Mr. Jerome puts down as the King of fish, whose 

 motto is "to live and let live," and who is unswayed by 

 "intimidation" of any kind. This is what he says of 

 him:— 



"See, what are his universally conceded good qualities. 

 He is among the gamiest of the garny— his'platter reputa- 

 tion suffers by comparison with none— his family govern- 

 ment is just splendid — for the children born unto him lie 

 cherishes a tender care and affection, watching over and 

 protecting them from the myriad dangers that lurk about 

 their ova life, and which follow them through the weeks 

 and months of tender infancy. He will live and thrive in 

 lake or river— in high or low temperature, in fact almost 

 equally well wherever dame fortune appoints his habita- 

 tion. So instead of going to a remote east and a still re- 

 moter west for stock with which to populate our waters, 

 why not be content with the rich native supply already 

 sporting with unrivalled beauty and superiority iu many a 

 neighboring river and lake, indeed, almost beneath the very 

 shadows of our roof trees. 



But the worthy Superintendents affections are not un- 

 divided; eveu the slippery eel has a place iu them, and he 

 is satisfied that notwithstanding invidious comparison that 

 the eel is the favorite Bsh with the people, and entitled to 

 an honorable position in the industry of pisciculture. At 

 the two hatcheries a statement of the stock on hand, shows 

 that "there are now upon the trays of the Pokagon hatch- 

 ery half a million or more of white fish ova, and about 

 one million of salmon trout eggs. Upon the trays of the 

 Detroit hatchery the Overseer, Mr. O. M. Chase, reports 

 between eight and nine millions of white fish eggs. To 

 carry these forward to March and April, the probable 

 period of their incubation, will require the assiduous labors 

 of the overseer and of his assistant, Mr. Wm. Hiues, and a 

 probable force of three or four pickers daily. So a large 

 draft on the fish fund will necessarily be required to cany 

 the present slock through; while bad water, bad weather, 

 or ill-luck from an uoforseeu cause or causes will una- 

 voidably enhance the volume of expenses. And then to 

 the large expenses incurred for the hatching of such 

 immense numbers of fish, there remains to be added the 

 expenses of their deposit; and should the Commission 

 deem it advisable to order them distributed largely into 

 the interior lakes, the probability of any considerable 

 overplus from the ourreul year's appropriation would beat 

 best but a remote one. The Superintendent sees but a 

 faint glimmering of a chance for the grayling, black bass 

 and eel, during the coming spring and summer, except 

 that portion of the fish appropriation which reverted to 

 the Treasury of the Stale be restored to the behoof and 

 uses of the Commission. 



The Ueport concludes with an expression of thanks to 

 the various railroad companies for their kindness in trans- 

 porting fish, and an Appendix containing game and Bsh 

 laws, etc. If fish culture is to lie looked upon as a science, 

 the dryness which the general reader finds in selenitic re- 

 ports is entirely omitted in the one under discussion. Mr. 

 Jerome has made it a most readable and cheerful resume. 

 Another feature of the Michigan Commissioners Report is, 

 that it comes to us bound with board covers, by which 

 means it is much more easily preserved. We hope this 

 plan will be adopted by the Commissioners of other States. 



, -»♦*■ i 



A Rejoinder, to Fish Uiti/roiusr Thompson, New 

 lloi'K, Pa. — Our Nouvelle (Canada) correspondent refers 

 in a recent letter to Mr. Thompson's strictures upon his 

 statements that salmon will not live more than two years 

 from the sea, and says :— 



" Of course I meant adult salmon, and I don't, think he 

 can show me salmon (Salvia Malar) of 10 or 12 lbs. in good 

 condition— in short, clean fish, that have spent two con- 

 secutive seasons after spawning in pure fresh water. At 

 least I can vouch that the British salmon deteriorates the 

 first year and dies after the second. The late Mr. Ash- 

 wortli tried it at Galway with invariably the same results. 

 However, I am open to conviction," 



