DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES,

66
A STATJIMtNT showing the daily operations of O11ecting Salmon Trout Eggs at
Wiarton, during the SeaAon of 184t—Concluded.
NumberofFish Number of
$ . Irom which
is
bc
pawn was coljured
lected and
iberate or dead in Number of
,
nets, Eggs GBNNRAL RmtARLS.
—-—— —- -— collected
Males Females '
do 27... 2 41 124 31 2 16 250,000 Small run of fresh fish in nets; snowing;
could not lift in morning, but got out
to nets in afternoon.
do 28 ..... .. Fish left iii nets not ripe.
4o 29... 2 47 72 47 4 22 150,000 Snowing; warmer weather.
Dec. 1... 41 103 39 10 19 200,000 Freezing; intend leaving for home Mon..
day, a.m.; season for collecting eggi
is over.
535 1,690 470 3a 224 5,r50,000
No. of times nets were lifted, fall of 1888, 14.
No. of salmon trout eggs collected, Pigeon Island, Lake Ontario.... 750,000
do do Wiarton, Colpoy's Bay, Georgian Bay.. 5,050,000
Total number collected, fall of 1888.. 5,800,000
More extensive operations will be required at the Georgian Bay in future, in
order to collect a sufficient supply of salmon-trout eggs for the Newcastle Hatchery
and establishments in the Lower Provinces. For several years past large supplies
of various kinds of fish eggs have been shipped from the parent establishment at
Newcastle to the Magog, St. John and Bedford Hatcheries in the Lower Provinces.
These consignments are not forwarded from here, until just before hatching time,
therefore great care and extra labor and expense is required at Newcastle during the
autumn and winter months to keep the eggs in good condition until the time of shipment.
Jr1 fact, the greater part of the responsibility and success of these hatcheries
in the Maritime Provinces now falls upon the Newcastle establishment, and in order
to collect a full supply of ova for all these nurseries it will be absolutely necessary to
provide all requisite means for procuring the parent fish. The stations, hitherto,
fished at Wiarton will be found inadequate. More extensive fishing grounds are to
be had in the vicinity of Hay, White Oloud and Griffith Islands, where the salmontrout
are known to spawn in very large numbers. The grounds referred to, I believe,
are the property of the Indian Department. I am informed by Chief Mc-
Gregor, who is the head of the tribe, that no objections would be raised to the setting
of three or four pound nets on their reserve for the purpose of collecting eggs
for the Government. I would therefore, urge upon the Department the necessity
that exists for entering into some negotiations in regard to collecting salmon-trout
•ggs in the neighborhood of these islands for next year's operations.
Condition of Eggs in Hatchery.
Owing to the unusually open winter, and the many rain storms which prevailed
during the month of December, the water has been kept muddy, and the sediment
which is so often deposited upon the eggs in the hatchery from the above
causes gives a great deal of extra work in the nursery, and has a serious effect upon
ihem at ihe se&on of the year just when the embryo is forming. The continuous