16 FISH HATCHING. 



ANATOMY OF OVA. 



I cannot in this place refrain from a bit 

 of anatomy. You will see in this diagram 

 how the eggs (or ova) are placed in the body 

 of the fish : you may see this fact any morn- 

 ing yom'selves when the matutinal herring 

 is placed before ^^ou ; and you will then 

 understand once for all that the hard roe is 

 composed of the eggs, whereas the soft roe is 

 the milt of the fish. This diagram of a 

 common trout will show you how these eggs 

 are packed together, and how beautifully they 

 are arranged, reminding one somewhat of 

 figs packed in a box ; there is hardly room to 

 place a pin's head between any of them, and 

 they curiously enough resemble a section 

 of a bees' honeycomb. 



