9 



puzzled me, and I began to study the causes that 

 produced this failure, and as I knew that the water 

 in which the parent fish naturally deposit their ova 

 about the shoals of our great lakes, becomes frozen 

 over about the middle of November, and remains so 

 until about April ist, it occurred to me that the low 

 temperature of the water in which these eggs laid 

 from the middle of November till April ist (being 

 at a uniform temperature of from 2> 2 % degrees to 

 33 degrees), retarded the process of their incuba- 

 tion to the season of the year when the ice leaves 

 the shoals and the animalculae develops sufficiently 

 to sustain them, which is about the time their umbi- 

 lical sac, being absorbed naturally, disappears. 



These ideas which suggested themselves to my 

 mind, led me to try practically and prove the truth 

 of my theory; consequently I caused to be erected 

 a large hatching house, in the Fall of 1871, and took 

 water from a pond raised on a small stream which 

 became frozen over early in November and remained 

 so till April, at which time they hatched out. 



The water that Mowed over these eo-o-s during- 

 that time, stood at a uniform temperature of about 

 33 degrees. A much larger proportion of these 

 ova hatched out than previously, and remained 

 vigorous and healthy till the time they were planted 

 in some of the desirable lakes of this county (Oak- 

 land). A good number were also placed in the De- 

 troit river. 



This natural and scientific method settled the 

 question in my mind that I had discovered the only 

 true mode that would result in perfect success. In 



