OBSERVATIONS UPON FISHES AND FISH-CULTURE. 
57 
make. At that time we would collect all the spawn we could handle. The morning hauls of the 
seine included nothing hut male fish. The sheepshead when in spawn swim in schools, hut not 
near the surface. They seem to like to swim close along the sandy beach in about 6 or 7 feet of water. 
At times our seine would have so great a quantity of these fish in it that we could not get it to the 
shore, but would have to raise the lead line from the bottom and liberate a great many so that we 
could examine those remaining in the net. 
The apparatus used in hatching these eggs was the Chester jar in the tidal box. 
Soup (Stenotomus clirysops). 
May 22, 1889, 50,000 scup eggs were collected ; 30,000 of these were hatched and 
the fry planted in Woods Holl Harbor May 29. 
On June 14 and 16, 1890, about 444,000 eggs of this species were obtained for the 
Woods Holl station. These were placed in a Chester jar and a McDonald box. The 
first lot hatched in 72 hours at an average temperature of 61£°, the second lot in 95 
hours when the temperature averaged 62£°. 
Spotted weakfish ( Cynoscion maoulatum). 
On April 1, 1889, Lieutenant Platt collected 1,450,000 eggs of this species at San 
Carlos Bay, Florida. He found the fish in great quantities, and the spawning season 
just beginning. He states that the egg floats, and is equal in size to that of the 
sheepshead. Only about 350,000 fry were developed. The period of hatching is 40 
hours. 
Squeteague (Cynoscion regale). 
On June 6, 1890, there were obtained at Woods Holl, Mass., 237,700 eggs, of 
which 95 per cent were hatched in the Chester jar. The time of incubation was 
65 hours, and the temperature 60°. 
Pompano ( Trachynotus sp.). 
At San Carlos Bay, Florida, Lieutenant Platt seined a pompano weighing 18£ 
pounds. In the stomach he found crushed scallop shells. 
Mackerel (Scomber scombrus). 
Yinal ET. Edwards, on May 21 and 24, 1889, collected 215,000 mackerel eggs, from 
which 150,000 fry were hatched and planted in Vineyard Sound, May 29. On June 3 
500,000 eggs were taken from fish which had been dead a few minutes ; none of these 
eggs survived. 
Eggs of the mackerel were collected for Woods Holl station on June 2, 6, 10, and 
11, 1890. The total number obtained was nearly 3,000,000, and the percentage hatched 
from good eggs was 89. The shortest hatching period was 72 hours, at an average 
temperature of 61°, and the longest period was 103 hours, when the average temper- 
ature was 59°. 
Tautog (Tautoga onitis). 
Eggs of this species were taken at Woods Holl May 21, June 10, 21, and 24, 1890. 
The total number collected was 808,605, of which 90 per cent were hatched. The 
shortest hatching period was 66 hours, on an average temperature of 64° to 64£°; 
and the longest period 144 hours, with a temperature of 56°. The Chester jars and 
the McDonald box were used. 
