46 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



masses. The eggs are passed over to the washer, who repeats the 

 swaying and the shaking, and, having weighed them, pours in a small 

 quantity of water and goes through the mixing process for a third 

 time. After this the eggs are immediately washed by pouring in an 

 abundance of water and turning it oft", and repeating the operation 

 until the water appears quite clear, when the eggs are placed on the 

 shelves in the rear of the ai)artment, to await the process of swelling. 

 When the egg first comes from the fish it has a soft and velvety feeling 

 to the hand, and the outer shell lies loose and slack against the yolk. 

 The presence of water excites the shell to action; its pores absorb water 

 with such force that any foreign object coming in contact is sucked 

 against it, and in consequence of this suction the eggs stick to the pan 

 and to each other. In the course of 20 or 30 minntes this process is 

 completed, the shell is swollen to its utmost extent and is firm to the 

 touch, the space between the shell and the yolk is now filled with water, 

 and adhesion to outer objects ceases. 



The eggs can now be laid upon trays and carried to the hatchery. 

 No serious harm would ensue if the eggs should be disturbed during 

 the process of swelling, but it is better not to spread them upon trays 

 until they have attained full size and ceased to adhere to each other, 

 and they are left on the shelves until the spawning for the day is over, 

 when all are carried to the hatchery together. After the absorption of 

 water the eggs must be handled very gently, as they are now suscep- 

 tible to injury from sudden shocks, such as might ensue from pouring 

 them from pan to pan, or setting the pan containing them down roughly 

 upon a wooden table, and to guard against such injuries the tables and 

 shelves are covered with old nets or other soft material. 



CONDITIONS AFFECTING FECUNDATION OF EGGS. 



While the spawn of a salmon is, with very rare exceptions, in normal 

 and healthy condition and capable of fecundation within the limits of 

 the spawning season, occasionally a fish is found whose eggs are in 

 some way defective. Sometimes they are developed unevenly, the 

 ovaries containing eggs in various stages of growth, some mature and 

 some rudimentary; sometimes all the eggs of a fish are abnormally 

 small, and sometimes all have defects which render them incapable of 

 fecundation. But among the thousands that have been manipulated 

 at the station not 1 in 300 has had defects involving as many as 20 

 per cent of her eggs, and in the spawn deemed of normal quality there 

 can hardly be more than 1 defective egg in 400. Among the males no 

 instance has occurred where there was reason to suspect the milt of 

 being of defective quality if secured from a living fish. 



In 1872 experiments were made bearing on the duration of the 

 capacity for fecundation of the eggs with interesting results. From 

 eight lots of eggs taken from dead fish, the rates of impregnation ranged 

 from 92^ per cent down to zero. From a fish that had been dead 2 



