6.— THE WORK OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION FROM 
DECEMBER 1, 1896, TO NOVEMBER 3, 1897. 
By JOHN J. BRICE, 
United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries. 
The following is a summary of the work accomplished by the United States Com- 
mission of Fish and Fisheries since December 1, 1896: 
At that time the cod-spawning season on the Atlantic coast had just opened, 
and operations were being conducted, as usual, at the Gloucester and Woods Hole 
stations, Mass.; auxiliary stations having been established at Kittery Point, Me., and 
at Duxbury, Mass., for the collection of eggs from fish captured by the commercial fish- 
ermen. As a result of the season’s operations, 180,000,000 eggs were collected, from 
which 98,000,000 fry were liberated on the natural spawning grounds along the coast 
of Massachusetts. The results secured were 40,000,000 in excess of the previous 
year. Attention is particularly called to the method adopted of planting the fry on 
the natural spawning-grounds instead of liberating them in the immediate vicinity of 
the stations, where less favorable conditions of food, temperature, etc., prevailed. 
At the completion of the cod work the propagation of the flatfish (winter flounder) 
was undertaken at Woods Hole, Mass., on a much larger scale than heretofore, as 
evidenced by an output of over 64,000,000 of fry from a total collection of 80,000,000 
eggs, 69,000,000 in excess of the previous year. 
To further extend the propagation of the lobster, the most important crustacean 
in the waters of the United States, which is now rapidly decreasing in numbers, it was 
arranged not only to cover the region in the vicinity of Woods Hole and Gloucester, 
but also to make systematic collections from fishermen operating on the entire coast 
between Eocklaud, Me., and Noank, Conn. The schooner Grampus was utilized on 
the Maine coast for. the collection of eggs and the liberation of fry; and the steamer 
Fish Hawlc was employed as a floating hatchery at Casco Bay. Agents were stationed 
at Kittery, Me.; Boston, Plymouth, and New Bedford, Mass., and at points iu Con- 
necticut, who collected the egg lobsters and held them in live-boxes until called for 
by launches and vessels from the Gloucester and Woods Hole stations. As a result 
of this extension of the work, notwithstanding the poor catch, over 128,000,000 eggs 
were secured, producing 115,000,000 fry ; an increase of 20,000,000 over the number 
obtained the preceding year. 
During the spring and summer particular attention was paid to the food, habits, 
and growth of the young lobster; and much valuable information was obtained at 
Woods Hole, where extensive experiments were conducted in the holding of the fry 
during the larval stages. The experiments indicate that, under natural conditions, 
the young lobster is much less a cannibal than has been believed, eating his fellows 
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