XXXIV 
The U. S. Commissioner determined to rely entirely on the 
apparatus taken down by the Lookout for perfecting the eggs 
gathered at the North Carolina station. We, therefore, re- 
tained in Maryland waters, the barges which had been used in 
the shad-hatching operations, as we thus insured their being 
available at the opening of the spawning season at Havre de- 
Grace. They were anchored in the position held by them in 
previous years, in Spesutie Narrows ; and on board was placed 
a portion of the hatching corps, with instructions to examine 
the fish daily taken by the haul seines and gill-nets and re- 
port the arrival of the first spawning fish. The first ripe fe- 
male was secured on the 3rd of May. 
From this time the corps continued the examination of the* 
seines on Spesutie Island and some of the floating batteries on 
the Flats. They also examined nightly the shad taken with 
the gill- nets. Although the number of ripe fish varied each 
night, thev increased gradually until about the 23rd of the 
month. 
From this period up to the end of May the operators were 
more successful than at any other time. 
An examination of the table will show that the temperature 
of the water varied from 68° to 72°; and during this period 
the number of eggs secured, each night, was over half a 
million. 
Near the end of May a second barge, fitted with the ma- 
chinery which had been used in Albemarle Sound, was ready 
for work; and, with a portion of the corps, was placed in 
charge of Mr. John S. Saunders, who had conducted the ope- 
rations in North Carolina. This second machinery-barge 
was anchored in the channel, near the Old Bay-fishery, and 
the operators attached to it were instructed to examine the 
fish taken by the gibers in this inner channel and on the 
upper portions of the Flats. 
The machinery-barge, which had been successfully worked 
the year previous, was kept in Spesutie Narrows, in the old 
quarters, *and was placed in charge of Mr. F. N. Clark, an 
experienced fish culturist. The details of the operations at 
these two stations will be found in the accompanying tables. 
