11 



hesive quality, since it causes massing together, furnishes one 

 of the difficulties of artificial hatching. Microscopically the 

 eggs appear as dense opaque spheres filled with yolk granules. 

 They approximate the size of white perch eggs, numbering 

 from 60 to 100,000 per female. When collected for hatching, 

 after adhesion and clumping have stopped, the eggs are firm, 

 hard and of a light coffee color. 



Spawning Habits. — The majority of females when running 

 up stream contain unripe eggs, while the greater part of the 

 males appear ripe. 



Temperature conditions being favorable, the eggs rapidly 

 ripen when the fish reaches the spawning grounds. During the 

 act of spawning the alewives swim in small schools around the 

 edges of the pond, one female accompanied by several males. 

 When the eggs are deposited they are immediately covered 

 with the milt by the closely following males. During this 

 schooling or mating process the fish dart hither and thither 

 over the sandy shoals, frequently breaking the surface of the 

 water by their energetic rushing. Apparently no distinction is 

 made as to the time of depositing the spawn, which is accom- 

 plished both by day and night. Our observations suggest that 

 the greater part is accomplished during the day, whereas Prince 

 (5) finds that in Canada on moonlight nights the shallow waters 

 present a much disturbed appearance, owing to the energetic 

 movements of mating fish. After spawning, the alewives remain 

 a variable time in the pond, and then return to salt water. 



