|
back
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION 1883.
Report upon hatching one million whitefish eggs from the great lakes at Orland, Maine,
and upon planting the young in Eagle Lake, Mount Desert.
The eggs came on Monday, February 26, in one case, which was large and heavy and not provided with handles, so that it was rather weak when it arrived. The eggs were immediately taken out and found to be cool. The temperature of the moss was below 35 degrees, but a small percentage had hatched and died, so that the package smelled "fishy". They were washed and put into water at 34 degrees, and a few of them hatched within 24 hours. I considered it desirable to keep them at the hatchery, if possible, until the ice should be out of Eagle Lake and the steamers running to Mount Desert. So I continued until April 19 the use of the coldest water at command, which was below 34 degrees. Upon that day the eggs were about half hatched and I took one 20 gallon can of young fry and went to Mount Desert to make arrangements for the reception of the whole number. I left the hatchery at 6 am and arrived at the lake at 10 pm. I found it beginning to thaw out around the shores, and turned in the fish all in good order. From the 19th to the 26th of April the temperature of the water rose to 37 degrees and the rest of the eggs hatched. On the 26th, at 7 a.m. we started with all the fry in fourteen tin cans, and four small casks which had received two coats of shellac upon the inside and were provided with perforated covers. We arrived at the lake at 9 pm. The fish in the cans were in good condition, but we lost all that were put in the casks. I had no way of ascertaining definitely any of the losses, but up to the time of transportation they were small. I judge that of the 1,000,000 which left Michigan something over 700,000 were turned into Eagle Lake in good condition. The fry taken down upon the 19th were liberated upon the north side of the lake, about one fourth of a mile westward from the outlet. Those liberated upon the 26th were taken up the eastern shore in boats as far as the ice permitted and scattered along shore as much as practicable, most of them from one half to three fourths of a mile from the outlet, and all upon rocky bottom. Portland, ME. June 4, 1883 --------------------------------------------------------------------- END |