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Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableau.^, etc., peuvent Atre film6s A des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour etre reproduit en un seul ciichA, il est film6 A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. D 32 X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 A.F " ^n i SPECIAL REPOKTS ON I. — Practical Notes on the Culture of Trout II. — Peculiarities in the Breeding of Oysters III. — The Sardine Fishing Industry in New Brunswick BV PROFESSOR E. E. PRINCE Coniinisfsioncp ol" Fisheries^ 1895 OTTAWA UOVERXMENT PRINTING BUREAU 1896 Dpj d'^^z-c /• , . , -, » ^ .;', \,'' ■ . "' ^^' i'i''j'--'t >oWf '.'4^"" »,-v I.' SPECIAL REPOKTS ON I. — Practical Notes on the Culture of Trout II. — Peculiarities in the Breeding of Oysters III. — The Sardine Fishing Industry in New Brunswick BY PROFESSOR E. E. PRINCE Conimissioiiei' of Fisheries 1895 OTTAWA GOVERNMENT PRINTING BUREAU 189C • ''.?!■ '■■ 0092472 conte:n^ts. I.— HintH (in Trout Culture :— Page. Trout Imtchiiiff wwily iiccoinpliMhed I'rofuriiiK |.iir«3iit trout ' ft Xuiulwr iiml ,■ vivifyint? tlir cffgs. '.......'. " Hatcliiiijf tr«y« and conditioiw for hutching. . " Time of hfttchin^f 7 Ucuioviil of (lead ..ggn 7 .ManaKcM..nt of th.' young fry 7 Kffdiiii; thf fry [ 7 Ycarlintf trout 8 < Jrowth of sahnon ' , 8 DftaiUof rearing (Mindg ,' 8 KufuiifH of trout 8 Kinds of Ksh to Ik? avoided by piHcicidturistH * II.— P.-cuiiaritifs in the l)rmling of Oysters :-- Necessity of accurate kiioM led^e for oyster culture. Structure f)f oyster 10 Kggs of various oysters ' 10 Mah' and female cliaracteristics of oysters 12 Oyster effgs, how vivified or fertilized H Kinl)ryo oysters 11 Features in I'acitic, .Atlantic and Knglish oyster '^ White and l.lack spat |H-culiar to Knglish oyster. ^2 Fecundity of various oysters • • 12 (Jrowth of oj'sters Bretxiing features sunnnarised 1- ■• 13 II[.— Sardine Industry in New Brunswick :— (ieneral remarks on the industry Capture of sardines 14 Value of the catches 15 Process of canning described 1*« What is the Canadian sardine V ' . . . 17 Life-history of the herring 18 Future prospects of the fishery. 18 ■ 18 SPECIAL RHPORTS. Bv N.,. I.-i'RACTICAL NOTES ON TIIR ClJLTtTUK OF TROUT. Prokkhsoh E.WAH., E. I'niNCK, CoMMr.ss.os.a and (J.nkhal Inspectoh ot I'lsiiiurES FOR Canada. fleially propagate. Tho'^Jpe at ons C tnh?„ ^Wr , ''' '^*""'' '^ '" ^'^^^''^^^ ^^ "'"^i- wluteihortopike-poroh irbacrbttH n,^^ "'".,"''.' "Pl'"«"^>l« t., lake in« the parent' tiKl.Pand hatching brSsS f^^raVo'^wTIo^^^l^^^^^^ enthul ?r„ nvSr;: tLfZlll^'^r \? """''r J'^°^'"«"« «" ^^e part of effortH of the Dopartm^ «"'* '"««?«"'' ""J support the the Dominion, «ome br?ef notes o'^siii ! '" '■?''"P«'-"ting various wators in turo appear opporlSne ' """P'" ^"'^ P"*"''*''"' "'''"'•°. "«7 at this June crea^g''i^^2S;«^:einS;:tn„t^S^ in in- Mar ne and p-isheries theHnn TnhnP^.; rT °° wishes ot the Ministo: of it is nSl^aTtoTove^'r aS tVttr, l"" ^V P'"""*' ^^ f ""^'"^ «":^-ters and lakes, which onco abounded with fro^,! t""* 7' *"■" ?"'^"'''"- ^^en streams have become alLe^n character and [""''"^^y' ^"'"'g the process of depletion, features. A few adul tro Mral'.rn.^ f ^^fi^P^'"^"' ^^^''' ^°'"™«'" ^voarable afford the roquiTen fom^tjon f thlihT '''•^'' ""fT ^-"l '" * «'°fe''« ««*«"" fear of success. Lch rforraation L ! • T'''''^ ""^ ^^"'■'«^' ^''^'^ "«ed be no ponds or of wa er^wLh it rnrol 'f f-^^Ji^f- ""7^^'^ '•" '^^ '^'^ ^^ «rtiticial which are really unfoJiurable sneSl^^^ thehrsttime Under conditions healthy, vigorous site Thev win LI • ^' '' ""i ?,'*"'"«®' ''^«' ^ut not in a the supply fa sman and unSi^ but vLv Tr '" «»^'^''r.«^«gn"nt water, where euccess/ul trout-culture '"^'^"'"' *""' ^^'^^^ ^'«^^''«"t conditions are necessk.y for ^eoulUlefoTtU^^^^^^ «gg the parent fish must be trout can only be secured bvotf^T"!.*- .l"'*'il^* P*'"'^ ""*'' ^^Pe. otherwise a special periJiMhe condit^^ns atS lo'wW, ^'"'^^«'" «f ^^'^^'"^ «"d Fisheries two years old, will yield smwn bS a- ?h« n k T """^ stringent. Trout, when and the e^gs have Cn pS t be £ rr5°'"- ^^^k P''^"'r^'^.^^ '*'«'" ^««™''". .arable to-select parent fiS not^o^^^fha^ur yL^^td^ ^^rS^!.;' S^ 6 yenr» Moreover, the larger M^ fmnish n creator number of eg«H, the amount beinjr about 900 for every pound woiKht (.f the paronl. and JhoejrKH them».olvf8 are of larger hi/c A nalmon product'8 oggH at loaHt ono-thiid larger than thone of a Hmall grilHe.aH.I Uu, fry hatched from eggs of hirgo Hi/o have been found to bo finer healthier and of more rapid growth than from Hmaller oggH. This in rh true ahto of the trout. IhoHpawinng neuHon oxtendH ovt^r along porind. and individualH con- tainir|g rme oggn may bo found from lale fall imtil npring. It in not necoHHary to doHcribo llio melhodH of obtaining par.wit trout, though the drag noino of lin bar *. «., al)Out 2-in. oxtenwion menh, in vory effective. The Heine l)oing an e.xce«Hively deHtructive net ih generally prohibited in Canu pressed against the right breast of the operator and the tail bent back ami upward. If the Hsh is fully ripe the ripe cgi,'s will shoot out in a con- tinuous stream and the assistant completes the operation by gently pressinL' upon thoundersidoof the tish and passing his hand from the head towards the tail to expel the eggs that may not havo run out. The eggs should not fall far, so that tho assistant should hold or place on the left of the operator tho shallow dish, which is to receive the eggs. No force is necessary. If the eggs refuse to stream out, tho fish ia most probably not fully ripe and a little j)atioii(o will prove that Home Hsh refuse for a minute or two to yield their spawn, and old fish alwavs spawn less freely than young exami)le8. Some manipulators wrap the fish in a towel leaving the snout ami hind part of the body free, others hold the fisli's head or shoulders in the left hand, and grasp the under side of the body with tho right hami, holdin.' the tail down and slightly pressing with the right thumb. There are disadvantages con- nected witii these methods; but in all alike patience and gentle handling are essential lie hsh should not bo unduly disturbed or roughly treated, and spawn- ing can thus 1)0 accomplished without tho slightest possibility of injury. Vory larsro and strong hsh may demand the united efforts of two operators. When four or five temale hsh have been spawned into the plate yielding, say, 10,000 ova, the assistant must then land in succession two or three ripe males. Kach fish should bo broucht close to the eggs as they lie in the plate, and as soon as the abdomen touches the eggs a large flow of creamy milt will bo forcibly ejected. The plate should be turned round as each now male is brought so that all tho eggs may receive a share of the fluid railt. A slight pressure of tho right thumb and Hnger behind the breast hns and further back will increase tho flow. Tho milt of a single male will suffice tor an extraordinary number of eggs if both sexes be in fully ripo condition and m cases of necessity ono male may with confidence be used to fertilize the ova of aye or six females ; but where possible the first named proportion is safest The vivif>-ing or fertilization of the eggs will be aided by gently stirring ihom with a clean feather after milting, and adding half a pint of water todilute thecreamy milt Mch dish when thus filled and Btirred should be placed on one side and five more females spawned into another dish. In half an hour they should be placed in a larger vessel, a clean wooden bucket, and placed under a gentle How of clean water to wash all impurities and excess of mill away. The eggs will appear no longer soft and yielding and instead of clinging together will be hard to the touch and siparato iron^ each other. They are very elastic and will endure great pressure. Thus Frank ±5uckland, the most famous of English pisciculturists placed upon some trout eggs a weight not less than five pounds six ounces before he could crush them. Neverthe- less pre-ssnre especially upon newly fertilized eggs is highly injurious. mount being jIvch are of e ot a Hinitll to bo Hnoi*, triio aho of 'iilualH con- ocoBHnry to ot liii. bar, exfOMMivoly it rniiHt not otiior tiHli JM nntinod in a )|iurutor8 to aHro(iiiire(i 10 opoiator i>* lett hand md towanls ■ant tins, tlio i-of tJiofiHli. and the tail 3utina con- )snin^ upon tho tail to so that tho h, which \H t, the tish in Some tish 1 k'H8 fiotdy g tho Hnout * in tlic loft ig the tail itnj,'08 con- ndling are nd spawn- Very [arno four or five assiatant bo brought ouchoH the should be 1 a share of the breast will suffice dition, and the ova of ifest. The lona with a eamy milt. 3 and five > placed in lean water, longer soft id separate bus Frank 'out eggs a Neverthe- over tho hatching trays. """''' ««^'"n«''t to settio before it runn «reaS^th^';;i:;;?,^j;;t';er'lhe mS;^ ::? ^""""« ^'V'T ^"- ^"-'"'O «K««- The ample suphL of ,^,g„,riiS'tl;r!^;;^ other featu,!e'«fsKy:p S^^^ its o<,uablo tetap-raturo. ^JyZ called the oyo.|.ei,'L'staWwahrfW:m^.K '"culmtion has advanced to what is Trout igs h,ur.^ui rfomi^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^v°"- amount,undn,pidily,aswolaHTho..ha,..n? ''"^.':' "''CO'ding to tho temperature -irata is g.ne.a'lly hild to bo b<^. and K^^^^^ ^^^'^«^. ^^"'«'' '"'•'^m I'i.nesto.'o can incubation be protracted. Temnera .n.? iJ If 'l"'i"t'ty of water tho longer of one deg.eo Fahr rise or f! II thn. !1 ^ <>f course most potent and a chat7Lre or five daVs. Kg/; of tro^u' w dtt aU^ "uT.f ii"!''" iT'""?, '^' '"-^^''^-n "ISr the water is kopl at 50" Fahr., will t"ke 1 . v« ir h^^^ '" ''" '"'"P«''''l"ro of a« 40- The tilled hatching t ays Lo n?a -22 iCl n «'"I'«'"'"'-« '« '^"Pt "h low a flow of water through the boxes m.,-? hi ? '" '*"''"" "I'*-'" "' ^ho top, and water over the e-'tf. Direct liXT.iM"'''"""^'*'' '" ''"""'"" t^'> 'nches or I'e s of Dead eggs shoul.tt.e picS >K cfda^^^ Who "If 'V'T^'T '""^'"^ -"^'h transparency and bloom and aHrm« n L . k^^ ^"^ '^'" ^^«>' '""« l''^'" ''''licato reathery fut^us rapidl^coversT o^gg a"^ Iread^'IilThr';' 'u^ ""■^^'' '^"""^'^^ " the necessity for promptly removini: thorn TZrl ' ^*" '""'^''^^ ''^'^"'- 'I«"^« should bo done gently with a sofiVumoi i ' ^••'? "-.^""^ '"«'^''nK on the tray it swept into a B,,oon Wf.on is des ,«. . '1' "''" ''"""* °'/"""''- '-^'^«>' '""V ''o Hdftlv emptied by lifLg iron 'o he w tor nd'iSSfu'irv n^ '?'" -^^ '•'■"^'- ^ '^''"^- ""^y ^^ must never be touched bv thrhand ami .l!„ . ^ overturning it into a dish. !<>., pincers or forceps. ^ '*"'^' ""'' '^^'"^ '''^'^'^ «'•« best removed with wooden muc "fbe^fofrldTblfol'^^^^^^^ ''■ '/'^^--^ ■-'do- Charring is of iron 20 lbs. or 2s lb« wSJ „. 'J ' i' P'""* '""«' *>« avoided. Hot blocks this close contact pevetUstunh^.Tlte^^ to the surface to bo charred a,S ing, &c., must be will seasoned^- nw^fnr '^•'' KT' '^^•' '^♦^<^'' diarring, varnish- When the delica e /oS; oT/'Z'J"'" ^f''^ ''"^^'^'"^ oporattons beg „. numbers that special tan\ afo ?em'av to wiin'h .T"" "r' '""l!^' '^'y '^« «« '" «"^-h fry cannot fieo themselves from th, "^ i u^ ^'* transfer them. Many of the help by means of an SVealtSS^^^^^^ "\vZ:'''r' ''''r' '^ ''*^'« «'^"''^' the httle fish have intelligo>>ceTnSt^da VnwL f^ not more than two hours old ag.l.ty to capture one wi^h a spoon^^V^etp^ Tll^^^^' .^^^ZTl^ZZ ^S^S^'St^l^;:^^^^^ -^- -"-i". the .y : almoglbtrS " '''*"'"' ""^'' '""^ '-"^^ ^'S o'f yolk attached to each alevin is roBuia sSaUrrnfdeafh''"' *'"■■ ^^"^"'^'^'^ ^°^'°« -•>«" -^ded together h^e"*^,,P^!^JJ'^« ?^'' ^ith fine gauze to prevent the tail and yolksac of ^et! J. parsing inrough, and occasionally sw^^n ih«m „;.:.„„i„_.i^° R^ """^^ of thp fi-" r.o-=;v .' ••■ V" »""''*' '■o prevent the ta and volL-con r.p I.. 1118 T!j paoSiiig inroufih. and oecflsinnniiw q™«„^ 4U " ■ JoiK-sac oi some of outflow. ^ ^ ' occasionally sweep them gently away from the point / I ' i] Before the yolk is gone, trout fry will pick up minute particles of food, but they may bo fed on hard roe of flat fishes, of 'mackerel, or of other fish with very small eggs, which are easily scattered amongst the hungry alevins. Liver and rock-mussels finely minced form good food ; but very little should be given at a time as fragments falling on the floor of the tank pollute the water. Opinions are divided as to the advantages of planting young fry, or of keeping them until a year Only a small proportion can be artificially reared under the most favourable circumstances and their growth is always stunted as compared with those in their natural haunts. Early planting i.e., the planting of fry within a short time nfter hatching and before the yolk-sac has wholly disappeared, possesses many advantages. In one well-known experiment, the fry which were planted early were found to have increased in nine days to four times the size of those of the same brood which had been confined in rearing troughs. There is no doubt also that yearlings, artificially fed, learn to ti-ust to artificial protection and sustenance and are unfitted for the perils of natural waters when turned out. Yet, even though not more than one yearling in ten can be reared from the alevin stage, this is a great gain over natural roaring^ which almost certainly ensures the destruction of nine hundred and ninety- nine in a thousand fry hatched on the " redds " or natural spawning beds. A young salmon weighs less than two grains, thus it takes nearly 250 alevins to make up an ounce, yet insixteen monthsa weight of 2 oz. is reached, and twenty months later when as a smolt he has betaken himself to the sea and in a short while become a grilse of 7 or 8 lbs. i.e., achieved an increase of 68 times his weight in three or four months, his advance has been most marked, and may continue until, say, a weight of 30 lbs. has been attained or an increase of 115,000 times his original weight. The rate of growth was clearly demonstrated by the late Duke of Atholl's experi- ments over thirty years ago when three salmon were marked by means of copper- wire around their tails. They were descending to the sfa, and weighed 10, llf and 12J lbs. respectively. Six months later they were retaken ascending the river from the ocean, and showed an astonishing increase in weight, viz., 17, 18 and 19 lbs. res- pectively. Trout ponds for rearing and fattening purposes should be :— (I.) Edged with charred wood, which is much better than earthen banks washed by the water. (2.) Sloping to the north and sheltered from the east. (3.) Not deeper than 5 to 8 feet, and shallower (say 3 feet) at the ends. The outlet should always be shallow, but trout will flourish in water 18 to 20 feet deep, though they are apt to get out of control and difficult to manage from a piscicultural standpoint. (4.) Sheltered so that the fish can find cool water in summer. Trees or over hanging wooden shade fences will prevent a high temperature which is injurious. (5.) Secure from land and water-enemies, thus eels, rats, water-beetles, insects, reptiles and some birds are most destructive. Many animals and birds which never prey on fish are cruelly killed because suspected. Thus in England, the water ouzel has been mercilessly shot, though an examination of hundreds of the slaughtered birds showed that thoy feed only on insects and the grubs which destroy fishes eggs and young. One fish culturist published his confession that for years he had been shooting his best friends as no traces of eggs or fish had been found in the digested food of these birds. It is probable that musk-rrtts and other rodents live solely on leaves, roots and vegetable matters, but the real enemies offish should be prevented from making inroads on retaining ponds. , r^ One word of warning is necessary in view of a common opinion that German carp and other coarse fish merit the attention of fish culturists. In pure and pro- lific waters, such as those of Canada, abounding in trout, salmon, and all the highest grades of fish, these lower inferior kinds are a positive curse and injury if introduced. They increase fast and survive under the most unfavourable conditions : but their propagation in Canadian waters is little short of a crime, and entails the destruction s; I h a £ c< Of (I a( tl h nr ci Hi of food, but i with very Livor and given at a Opinion!^ are until a year it favourable lose in their ft time tifter ' advantages, bund to have 1 which had }, artificially itted for the 31-6 than one over natural i and ninety- is. 50 alevins to 'enty months lile become a three or four iy, a weight reight. The loU's experi- ns of copper- l 10, Hi and le river from d 19 IbH. res- anks washed 3 ends. The 20 feet deep, piscicultural Drees or over injurious. itles, insects, which never ) water ouzel slaughtered y fishes eggs he had been the digested re solely on be prevented that German )ure and pro- II the highest if introduced. IS : but their 1) destruction 9 of food upon which the finer indigenous kinds live, and the crowding out of the splendid fish native to our rivers and lakes. Even of the higher kinds, the Salmonidie, there are species and varieties which should be regarded with disfavour, especially those from the continent of Europe. German and Austrian trout, full of the germs of disease, should not be hastily introduced, and in this connection, the words of one of the most experienced and successful fi(.h culturists of modern times. Sir James Gibson-Maitland, of Howiotown, Scotland, may be quoted as a firal caution. Speaking of the changing conditions in the waters of America, and the possible decrease in the tinny population especially salmon and speckled trout {S.fontinalis, Mitch) Sir James MaiUand says :' " that nation, wise in fish culture, will soon fill their streams with trout already accustomed through centuries to the interference of man; not trout imported from the forest streams of Norway, or the mountain lakes of Switzerland, but good honest British trout, which, a hundred geneiations ago, made acquaintance with mill weirs and sunny streams. Civilization must breed its trout, as its cattle or civilization will have no trout."* ' "History of Howietown, Stirling, Scotland, 1887. 10 ; ! 11 II.— PECULIARITIES IN THE BREEDING OF OYSTERS. By raOFKSSOR EDWARD E. prince, commissioner op fisheries for CANADA, OTTAWA. When one considers the value and importance of our oyster supply, and the vastly extended ett'orts in the way of oyster culture during recent years, it is sur- prising that so little is popularly known of the main features of oyster propagation. lie would be regarded as a very stupid gardener who should attempt to grow plants, of whose flowers, seeds, and habits of growth he was totally ignorant, and the man who attempted to raise sheep or cattle without first gaiiiing sonae know- ledge as to their management and characteristic features, would be justly ridiculed. The cultivation of living things, animal or vegetable, terrestrial or aquatic, cannot bo successfully carried on without an acquaintance with the main principles of their life, growth and propagation. In the case of oyster culture, such knowledge is the more necessary in view of the contrasts exhibited by different species of oysters, and the unlikeness in their habits and modes of multiplication. Under specially advantageous circumstances I have been enabled to carry on investigations upon three distinct species of oyster, each distinguished by peculiarities in breeding habits which are of the highest moment. The brief sketch, which I propose to give, of the main points brought out by my studies, may prove of practical utilitj' and interest to many who pursue oyster culture. It is clear that unless those who contemplate starting new oyster beds, or recuperating old depleted areas, are familiar with the main features of the mollusc's life-history some of the most hurtful influences and conditions may arise and con- tinue without the possibility of their removal. One point in the structure of the oyster requires reference here in order to render clear some of the descriptions which follow. The oyster, it is well to note, has, like a riding saddle, a left and a right nide, with a corresponding right and left shell-valve. Wo speak in common language of the shell, inclosing the oyster's soft succulent body, as consisting of two halves, an upper and lower half; but, correctly described, the concave valve which is undermost is the left and the flat upper one is the right valve. The oyster lies, in fact, on its loft side when clinging to its native bed. The two valves'are drawn together by a thick muscle (the adductor) while at the pointed end of the shell is found a brown horny ligament or cusuion- hinge, which forces the valves open when the adductor muscle is cut through or is relaxed. This dark ligament, like the horny shield of the tortoise, marks the back of the oyster. We cannot, however, truly spouk of a head-end or a tail end but the right and left sides are clearly demonstrated when the 03'ster is anatomically exuminod. In studying oyster propagation the first important fact to be noted is this, that each oyster originates in an egg of extremely minute size. This egg is 1 ke a round ball, but soon assumes the form of a somewhat oval body. Each measures about one five-hundredth of an inch in diameter, so that five hundred of these eggs in the ease of our Atlantic oyster (Ostrea virginiana, Lister), would }over an inch if laid side by side. The English oyster (Os^rcrt edutis, L.) produces much larger eggs, no less in fact than one-two hundred and fiftieth of an inch in diameter, or more than twice the size of the oyster's eggs in our Canadian water. In the diminutive British Columbian oyster (Ostrea lurida, Carpenter), which I had the opportunity of studying in 1895 on the Pacific coast, I found that the eggs were less than one-third the diameter of the English mollusc. Each egg, in all three kindsof oysters, has the character of a minute grain of 6oft living matter, practically invisible lo the naked eye, and unprovided with any protective shell or hard membrane. These eggs are produced by special organs in the mature oyster at a particular period known as the breeding season, to cover DA, OTTAWA. pply, and the L'urH, it ie Bur- propagation. empt to grow ignorant, and ir some know- itly ridiculed, [uatic, cannot principles of ;h knowledge 3nt species of id to cany on inguished by fought out by pursue oyster yster beds, or ' the mollusc's arise and con- ire in order to i well to note, right and left e oyster's soft but, correctly flat upper one clinging to its the adductor) snt or cusiiion- ;hrough or is larks the back iil end but the 8 anatomically ed is this, that is 1 ke a round easures about 386 eggs in the er an inch if !h larger eggs, , or more than inutive British ity of studying I one-third the ninute grain of /ided with any ecial organs in eason, to cover 11 which period legislative prohibitions have been enacted in all civilized countries These special organs form a network imbedded in the fleshy body of the oyster. The network is made up of very delicate canals, with pockets or follicles at intervals and It IS in these follicles that the eggs arise. The eggs, when ripe, pass down the tine' canals into a main duct on the right and left side of the oyster. These larger right and left ducts open into the fore part of a slit or depression, into which also the kidney or organ of Bojanus opens. The depression is really in the mantle cavity or general chamber of tho oyster, which may be also called the shell-chamber and it passes down close to the great adductor muscle, ' Before an egg can grow into an oyster it must receive a peculiar granule of living matter, the sperm-particle, which is the male element. The eg-' must be regarded as a female product. When the two are fused, fertilization is completed and the egg produces a young oj'ster, Tho sperm-particles are exceedingly minute' so small, in fact, that a myriad of them (.im|.ly appear as a drop of creamy fluid! Lggs and sperms can bo distinguished from each other by a trained expert without the aid of any instrument; but when magnified under a powerful microscope the appearance of the two is wholly dissimilar. The late Professor Ryder discovered a chemical test ofa very eflicient character, for when using a mixture of methyl gieen and sanfranin, (a saturated alcoholic solution,) he found that tho eggs were always coloured red, and the sperm granules appeared of a blue-green colour. The two elements, (eggs and sperms) are formed in different individuals in our Atlantic oyster. In other words the male oyster is distinct from the female. The same holds true for tho British Columbia oyster, as my researches last summer on the Pacitic coast demonstrated for the first time. In the same category may also be included the Portuguese oyster, (Ostrea angulala, Lam.) In the European oyster, (O. eduhs, Linn.) whoso life history was, until recently, alone fully and accurately known to scientific men, a wholly different state of things exist. In the three species referred to (excluding the European species,) when the female is ripe, tho eggs travel down the tubules into the large ducts, and finally reach the cavity of the mantle, or shell-chamber, as it may be called. The eggs are so minute and light that when tho oyster opens its shell, the inrush of water"carries them out. They float away into the open water, and occur in such countless myriads that the surface of the sea on some oyster beds is quite clomly with them, A female Atlantic oyster may pour forth, in a single season, fifty to one hundred millions of eggs. When shed, they have not undergone the essential process of fertilization. Only contact with the sperms produced by the male oyster can accomplish that. The eggs are, therefore, sterile, and will produce nothing unless vivihed or fertilized. Now the male produces groat quantities of sperms" which pass into the shell chamber just as the eggs do in the female. These sperms are simply washed out into the open water, so that they come into contact with the floating eggs, if the weather and other conditions be favourable. Countless numbers of both eggs and sperms fail to achieve this, and of course, perish. Neither eggs nor sperms, if they are kept separate, survive very long. When the egg is pene- trated by a living sperm, it rapidly changes in appearance and structure. These complex changes need not be described here. They proceed while tho egg, an almost invisible floating speck, is carried about in the sea. In the space of a week more or less according to the temperature and season, the little egg becomes an activeembryo, provided with a delicate hhell. It soon settles down and becomes attached to any available object, preferring the shady rather than tho sunny side and remains there for the rest of its life. The late Professor Huxley kept young floating oj sters for about a week, and then found that they sank and became attached to the bottom of the vessel containing them. They appeared as white discs, about ^V of an inch in diameter. Many eggs perish because they never become fertilized ; others perish after fertilization from cold or rain, or wind and gales; others again cometonothing because the place upon which they settle is unfavourable. Sand, mud, and other harmful influences also kill myriads f i' > uung, and numerous marine animals devour quanties as food. Professor Brooks, iii his admirable little work on the oyster, refers to the perils of the young oyster, and quotes Mobius, that every p n 12 newly hatched European oyster has but one chance in one million one hundred and forty-five thousand, of reaching maturity. " I have shown," adds Dr. Brooks, that the chances of each American oyster are very much less. ^ , . ... During ray studies Inst year, in which I dissected and microscopically examined many hundreds of the small Pacific oyster (0. /undo) I found that the number of males was greatly in excess of the females. On the other hand, the sexes appear to be about equal in number in the At antic oyster. Cm-eM observa- tions have shown that the sperms produced by a single male will suffice for fer- tilizing the eggs of six or more female oysters. It is not necessary in this place, to give further details, as I propose to lay before the Royal Society of Canada, a special technical memoir on the subject. . r,„^ „ It is possible that deterioration of oyster bods may arise, at times, fiom a serious disparity in the relative uimbers of the two sexes, m the case ot the Atlantic and Pacific oysters, at nuy rate. , . , . c .^.,«„^ Under favourable conditions, however, such is the number of sperms poured into the sea by a single male, and such is the quantity of eggs produced by each female, that the perpetuation of the beds is ensured, unless unusual circumstances intervene. One sperm suffices to fertilize a single egg. The contrast in the propagation of the English, or rather European oyster rO.edM^s), as compared with that of the oysters indigenous to this continent, has been referred to: but some further details aro called for in order to m.ake more clear the important differences. This is necessary in view of the fact that some ot the best manuals, and many of the most eminent authorities, deal with the English oyster only, and they cannot therefore be implicitly followed in oyster culture operations in our waters. Both sexes in the European oyster, are contained in the same individual ; but the eggs are not produced at the same time as the sperms. This oyster is, in fact, male at one stage, and female at another ; but the eggs are found to ripen and be discharged in a short space of time, whei-eas the sperms may be produced over a lengthened period. Dr. Hoek has placed on record the observa- tion that a female oyster, in which eggs were still contained in the reproductive ducts was found to contain sperms in all stages of development about two weeks later All investigators agree that nothing of this kind has been discovered in Atlantic oysters. " I submitted more than a thousand oysters to microscopic observation," says Dr. Brooks, "and I did not find a single hermaphrodite. It must be remembered, however, that while individuals in the European species are bi-sexual, not unisexual, yet that ova and sperms are not produced at the same time in one individual. This species is in fact physiologically unisexual, and in no case fertilizes its own ova. The fertilizing sperms must therefore be derived trom other individuals. It is generally held that each oyster is at first a male and pro- duces eggs afterwards, and this view is supported by the fact, that very young oysters have been found filled with ripe sperms. Dr. Horst found such individuals sexually mature, though barely one year old. As oysters which have acted as females begin, immediately after, to produce sperms, it is clear that in some cases there is a regular alternation in the sex-features. How often the same individual may be male and female alternately, during the same season is not known. When producing eggs the valves of the shell are opened for breathing purposes, and sperms floating in the isurrounding water, find their way into the shell chamber, and pass to that part of the mantle cavity where the urogenital grooves are situated. The sperms are possessed of powers of active movement and enter the duct*, where they come into contact with the ripe eggs, and at once lertilize them The eggs are thus fertilized before they reach the shell-chamber, and long before they are emitted into the suriounding water. A glutinous matter surrounds them, w that they cling to the gills of the mother oyster, which is then s>ud to be in a state ot white sickness . White spat consists of eggs enveloped in a gummy secretion and undergoing the first embryonic changes. At the next stage about two weeks later, when the ?pat Inrns dark in colour, it is called black spat. The eggs have increased in size as well as assumed a dark tint, and they are nearly ready for emission, ihe «pat consists in fact no longer of eggs : but of very immature embryo oysters, pro- 13 hundred and Brooks, " that icroHcopically mnd that the er hand, the refill observa- uffice for fer- this place, to )ada, a Hpecial times, from a I case of the lerms poured iuced by each circumstances ropean oyster continent, has to make more t that some of th the English >y8ter culture Mitained in the as the sperms. It the eggs are le sperms may •d the observa- i reproductive out two weeks I discovered in ;o microscopic iphrodit*!." It an siieciesare at the same sual, and in no 3 derived from , male and pio- at very young uch individuals 1 have acted as t in some cases >ame individual nown. thing purposes, I shell chamber, ires are situated, le ducts, where lem. The eggs befoie they are 8 them, po that )e in a state of ; secretion, and wo weeks later, I have increased emission. The yo oysters, pro- vided with an extremely dolioato shell, and a dark brown liver, whence arises the colour characteristic of this stage. These embryo oysters are thrown out by the mother oyster us cloudy masses, which rapidly disperse in the open water. Each dark speck floats for a few days, and in calm weather sinks to the bottom, and .•ittach>s itself to any available object, dark objects being apparently preferred. Before settling down, the floating oyster may wander u long distance from the spawning beds, and in my investigations upon the Pacific coast, in the Dominion cruiser "Quadra," I captured many small embryo oysters several miles from any known oyster areas. The dangers which beset the floating young of both our two species of oysters are thus practically identical. The European oyster does not pmduce more than one or two millions of eggs which are thrown out as black spat, as already described. It has therefore not one- hundredth the fecundity of the Atlantic oyster, but the young have the advantage of maternal protection until somewhat advanced, instead of (jeing emitted into the open water, while still in the first and most frail condition. In all the species, how- ever, a very minute proportion of the embryos or "spat" ever arrive at maturity, and apart from the perils which beset them when floating in the sea, there is always the danger that the places upon which the spat settles, or falls, may present condi- tion fatal or at best very unfavourable. Artificial culture attempts to avoid these perils and to overcome these most serious disadvantages; but this sketch does not embrace a consideration of the conditions for successful oyster cultivation. It remains to be added, simpl}', that while oysters may develop sex elements by the end of their first year, probably eggs in the Atlantic and Pacific species, though sperms only have hitherto been observed in such, and these are therefore males, yet the prime period for spat production is in the fourth and fifth year. Oysters are on many bods ready for the table in two years, and at that age the reproductive elements are formed, but they are vastly more prolific when a year or two older. In aged oys- ters, six to ten years old or more, the liver increases so much in bulk that the sper- maries and ovaries diminish, as though crowded out. If therefore reserves of oys- ters in the fourth year of their growth could be secured on every important bed there need be no fear that our oyster fisheries will disappear unless natural condi- tions supervene, by which the original character of the beds is wholly changed. The following summary exhibits the more important differences between our Canadian oyster and the European species : — Canadian Oyster. (1.) Sexes separate. (2.) Unfertilized eggs shed by parent. (3.) Eggs and sperm meet in the open sea and fertilisation is accomplished. (4.) The swimming embryo is naked and has for a time no shell. (5.) Number of eggs enormous, probably 50 to 150 millions produced by each female oyster. European Oyster. (1.) Sexes combined in the same individual. (2.) Eggs never shed before fertilization. (3.) Eggs fertilized and retained within the mother-oyster's shell. (4.) Embryos protected by a thin shell, and emitted as " black spat," (5.) Eggs do not exceed one to two millions i.e., one egg for every hundred eggs produced by the Canadian oyster. Note :— A detailed account of the Department's Oyster Culture operations by Mr. Ernest Kemp during the past year forms App. No. 10, I'age 227 of this Report. 14 III.— THE SARDINE FISHING INDUSTRY IN NEW BRUNSWICK. BT PROPESSOa PRINCE, COMMISSIONER OP FISHERIES. Passamaquoddy Bay, New Brunswiok, and the waters around the West Isles, ^1 the Bay of Fundy, have long yielded an abundant Mupply of herrintr. Those have been commercially utilized in various ways, Formerly thoy were smoked or pickled and packed in barrels, but, during the last twenty years, with the decline of those branches of the fish curing industry in the province, there hus grown up a sardine fi8hcry,which has become of great importance and value. In speaking of a sardine industry it is well to premise that the occurrence of the true sardine in Canadian seas has not been scientifically established. Sardines are fish of insignificant size, when adult, but thoso called by that name in Canada are, in reality, the young of the herring and allied clupeoids. The opinion express- ed a year or two ago in a Quebec journal (L'Evenement, June 5th, 1893) by an acknowledged authority, with reference to the sardines canned on the banks of the St. Lawrence (Kamouraska) accurately represents the fact in regard to our sardines generally. " J'ai eu raison de dire qu'il n'y avail pas de sardine dans le St. Laurent et que co que M. Letellier met on boltos i St. Andr^ do Kamouraska n'ost que du petit hareng. " The small and immature condition of those fish by no means de- tracts from their comestible qualities. Indeed such qualities do not in all cases im- prove when the large full-grown stage is attained, and the adult of such clupooidsas the gaspereau is of inferior excellence, whereas the immature iish is delicate and toothsome. The small fish, the capture of which constitutes the New Brunswick sardine fishery, are prepared and packed either in shallow rectangular tins or boxes, or in oval cans after the manner of the familiar sardines d I'huile, which have long formed a valuable industry in France. The sardine canneries have been chiefly, and are at the present time almost solely, carried on upon the coast of Maine. The three can- neries in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, viz., that of Mr. Lewis Holmes, Beaver Hai'bour, Mr. Theodore Holmes, St. Andrews, and Mr. G. K. Wetmoro, Deer Island, do not affect the general statement, as the pack of those ostablishm ;its is but an inconsiderable item when compared with that of Eastport and other canneries. The sardine cannery in the province of Quebec, already referred to, may be excluded from prenent conHideration, although from the high excellence and repute )ductionfl it occupies a notable place in the fishery inaustries of the Mari- VTT1 n/ti!ka of its prodi time Provinces. At or near Eastport, Maine, U. S., there are, or were until recently, no less than thirty-five sardine canneries, a number increased by the addition of sixteen new establishments to over fifty, or nearly as many as are occupied in the famous French sardine industry, packing, in 1892, 300,000 cases, which was a considerably smaller pack than in the preceding year. From season to season the number of establishments varias as new canneries are opened and old ones closed. When the packing of sardines commenced, nearly thirty years ago, consider- able quantities wore put up in factories in Canadian territory. A prohibitive duty imposed by the United Ssates, wholly altered the industry from a Canadian point of view. The supplies of fish, it is true, were obtained in our waters, but the market for the manufactured article was chiefly in the United States, and by a convenient interpretation of the customs regulations, which practically would have kept out even freshly caught fish, these fish were admitted into the United States. The United States Attorney General gave the decision that Canadian boats of less than five tons burden might be regarded as not vessels in the meaning of the regulations, and the Canadian fifh required for the Maine s.irdine canneries were thus admitted' as the product of American fisheries. The United States canneries could not carry on their operations for a single day but for the ample supplies of fish obtained from 1ft our waters and the sardine industry, so far as our finhormen are concerned is confined to the capture of the fresh fish and their disposal to the Maine cannorien At C ninety fiyo per cent of the so-called United St^ates sardinen are caught bTour fishermen on Canadian shores, and these are, for the most part, packed in Eastport Lubrk and other small towns in the State ot Maine. " ^-•ttsipoii, ijubeck Of such importance is the supply of those small fishes that a larj^e pronortiou of the popu ation on the Maine coast, as well as the body of Canadian tishormSn who pursue the.r calling amongst the islands of the Bay of Fundy and SbouHn-. waters, may bo said to be largely dependent upon the sardine industry A ihirt in the supply of these fishes would mean disaster to those engaged in cleanintr cm in^ and packing, and who have capital investeu in the cannerie^, and wou d wi hiuf doubt, seriously affect the Canadian fishermen who find lucrative employ m^nTi^^uho capture of the .ardines That the small fish, known as sardines irtCwaer« were abundant on the shores of Charlotte County, N.B., was long known to our turnldT ' \T \^r ^"'"'^ ■^"'•""' «PP'-««i'*ted,and the only use to wh rrey were turned was that of conversion into manure for the purpose of fertilizing the land K.al?.'"^ "T-^u^ captured in weirs (the name being pronounced "wires" in the bcality), which are really walled inclosures or traps Lilt of woven twig, wh wooden suppor s or posts driven into the sand at distances of six or seven foS iit m compara ively shallow water. Smaller posts and horizontal stringers are uS to secure additional strength The weirs vary in form according to thf'r pSion and the particu ar character of the shore. They consist essentially of a wa lo ^vder sometimes two or more leaders terminating sea-wards in a pocket or trap This pocket or trap may bo circular, heart-shaped or triangular in form ^ Ihe hsh as they move along the shore, are guided by the leaders throncrh narrow openings into the heart, and their return is^reventJd by ptoiec in.. paTtf tions. When once the fish reach the terminal heart they make tK to'Jt ' escape and may be kept impounded, without suffering harm, for a pe io of many days ,f the tide does not recede too far. Such brush weirs as just described w"S ast for Hx or seven years, but in order to avoid risk of damage by storms and dTt ce in winter many fishermen take the precaution to carry ashore a la^ge par of the twig wattlmg or brush used in the trap. The best position for a brush we -is without doubt at the extreme end of a tongue of land, especially between islands or rocky ledges, where the currents run smooth and swift '«'anas or ,-nt. The movement of the water when the tide flows, often carries the school directly Z^ t «'?' ""! "^^u"" ^^"'^'"^' "^"'"'^ *^« t'd« ^^^y ">•« «aiJ to " stem in "As a rule the hsh enter the trap at night, and on bright moonlight nights, and durin/the day they appear to be afraid of the weir, and as a rule, shrink from' entering U^ It s remarkable that the fish when entrapped, make no attempt to e8cape,\hough ?„/L '"'""H^'f^-l^'P^f'^'^"^"^"':" ^^^ ^"*^'«^ twigs,especiallywhen hewfii- has been recently built. Such openings become, to a ikrge extent filled nnh^ weeds and debris so that the walls of the weir, in' the course^of 'he Reason rnc?ea^{ in thickness and density, but rre kept sufficiently clear to admit of f. ee ?n^ cs Tnd egress of water when the tide ebbs and flows. The poles and twigs moreover become thickly coated with mussels, zoopb ^^ etc., these having bicfme a tached when these creatures were in the young douting condition. Except for occaSonal repairs the weir is a self-fishing device? and requires iiule atten3 In ma,i;Tase1 the fishei-men s houses are a short distance away, but in other instances the fished' men must row a distance of two or three miles 1n order to secure their catch The fish come ,n with the flood tide very rarely at the commencement of ebb and migrate into the shallows, attracted probably by food. A messenger, usually a boy 18 dispatched to the weir as the water begins to lower-soon after " high^slac?-' ?he ■' Lart"" tYe mef Two'^'^H ' '"^^ ""^^^ 'Ti''' «" ""'' '•«*"'-. that fiTh a e i'n tbe heait, the men, two or three, or more if the weir be very larye proceed to secure the catch. Often when the men are of opinion that th^ X' are "off " they omit to even inspect the weir, as they do not expect to find any fish The catch varies greatly. Some weirs, favourably situated in narrow channels' which form favourite passages for the fish, may secure a catch worth $700 or $800 at a s ng™ 16 tide, the quantity of one catch on Grand Munan is reported at 400 hogsheads, i.e. 2,000 barrels. Fortunate lessees of weirs have reahzed as much as $10,000 to $20 000 in a year, as the return of a single weir ; but this return is, of course, very exceptional. Storms and winds, the state of the moon, and other circumstances affect the movements of the fish, and, in consequence, the value of the catch. June, aa a rule, is a moderate month, but there is often an improvement up to September. October and November are variable, but often are good, while in December the catches have been largo, but in the early monlhs of the year the fishery is not worth currying on. So \ariablo is the quantity of fish and the time of their appearance, that for many weeks and months it does not pay to finh the weirs. During the periods when the weirs are neglected, they must continue to catch fish of various kinds, and such fish are wasted and lost. This waste has suggested the desirability of providing a door or outlet for the fii^ hilf-irrown herring. The sneci- Inland. St. John County N^'lVo 1 ."sherds'' ' I '''" ««"''>-^"«t «ido of I'artrE examination was mado^of certafn ex SosbvTeL.v''" V" '^" '^'''' ""^ * <"««« from two specimens for microscopical studt ifn.h '"/ '^^ '•«P'-o« inches long are probably a little ovpr^Joi months old, and those seven to nine reproducelheirsWieBu'^atiltherr? .?dy:^^^^^^ ?"» hardly be re^dyZ destroy a vast number of immature herrC which « Ji "' ?^'''^'"^ '""«* therefore be ready to spawn. The specimens exSod^n T , ^u ' ?'' ^^'^ ™«"tfa« ''^tor would and the ovaries would hardly imch a sT^^ nf • "^ ^"'' certainly never spawned eight or nine months laer ^ **^ ''^ '"'P^^^^^ ""til the following spring upon'L'L'trttdi^&Tot'u^trir --- a drain fry help to keep up the numbers" but^other n^cLs"oSY' \i' '^'^'■''^"^'^ W Z T''* T"'m°"« that had never spawned cES°f^''''i!*^^«^*^o»ldsuccumb efforts to diminish the supply of hSZhpr«P„'n" '"?.'' ^"«* quantities. All ently little effect. Some L^Lrltth.^v^e explained ZZi ^"'"'°' ""^'^ ^"'^ "PP^^" wintor herring in Lhe Bay of Fundv L fnl .? . °''°"^PP<'**''a"ce of the arge destruction of nmall fish fo^r s'idine p^ui^^^^ ^y ^^e .ontinufd at times a very marked diminution, burnot" morn fh„ ""^'l'"'' "^'^ ''"^ «hown ordinary fluctuations of such a fishery rndT.-.-"" "^^T ^^ attributed to the ^ears 1890.91 these small fishes v.eremLablirtr'/u"^^ "-^^^ i" the years previously. ® "^°^^ abundant than they had been for twenty 20 thiH is contrary to tho muh o/tl.o oxamltmtion, rofori«d . on a prior nuiro und .,> the common opinion of tl.-w. en^ged in the sardine indu try ^ ^^' ""* '** !' ';:S- fo, and to argo and r of large ipawning hing fact hown no ■ f./