28 EEFORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



By repeated actual couut.s, and by arraiigiDg on a plate in a true 

 square, it was found that a large table-spoon, moderately heaped up, 

 contained about a thousand eggs. 



Eight ripe white-fish eggs will lie entirely within the space of an inch, 

 and the ninth will lie i^artially across the line. 



A pat of moss was then i3ut into the cups and a piece of canton flan- 

 nel, cut into the form of the Swiss cross, after thorongh saturation 

 with water, was pressed lightly down into the cup, and a table-spoonful 

 of eggs poured upon it. The canton flannel was used to line the sides 

 of the boxes, because it was found that the contact of the zinc was 

 fatal to the eggs, probably from the poisonous elements of the oxide. 

 The patch of canton flannel proved to be a great convenience in taking 

 out the eggs, as all that was necessary was to take the edges lightly in 

 the fingers and remove it from the box, and dipping the cloth with the 

 eggs into a pan of water, they were rinsed oif with a few quick mo.tious, 

 without any tedious picking and rinsing the eggs free from particles of 

 moss. In arranging the eggs for transportation for a short distance, 

 the use of the cloth patches is undoubtedly a good method. 



After filling the boxes they were placed in the trays, and the trays 

 adjusted within the zinc can, when water was poured on until the whole 

 contents were thoroughly saturated, when the lid was closed and locked 

 and the case was ready for transportation to the hatching-house. A 

 small fee to the baggage-master excites considerable interest in. the safe 

 handling of the box. 



Two trips were made from Ecorse to the hatching-house at Olarks- 

 ton, and about one million three hundred and thirty thousand eggs 

 were put into the troughs, Mr. Clark having increased the number of 

 troughs to fifty for the purpose of receiving the extra supply of eggs. 

 One-half of the eggs were the property of the commission, the other 

 half to be controlled by Mr. J. P. Clark, of Detroit, Mr. George Clark, 

 of Ecorse, and Mr. N. W. Clark, of Clarkston. The eggs received at- 

 tention from the second day after they wertf placed in the troughs until 

 about the middle of January, the eyes of the embryo then showing dis- 

 tinctly, and the subsequent loss being very small. 



Upon receipt of the instructions to ship a quantity of eggs to the 

 State commissioners of California, a case similar to Mr. Clark's was 

 made, substituting a good quality of tin for the zinc, and adding a sec- 

 ond square can, large enough to contain the can with the trays and 

 <cups, and leave the space of an inch on all sides. 



Arriving at Clarkston on the 18th of January, the weather was con- 

 sidered too severe to hazard the shipment of the eggs at the time, and 

 it was delayed until the 20th. 



The thick covering of frozen snow and ice i>revented the possibility 

 of obtaining moss, and a good quality of sponge was substituted. 

 This was prepared, first, by whipping out .the calcareous dust that it 

 contained, and, after being cut in thin slices, was thoroughly" washed 



