24 V. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



eggs are given a slight motion by the action of the waves upon the 

 surface of the water. 



When eggs held in floating boxes are to be sliipped, they are 

 dij^ped into pails and carried to a place arranged for packing 

 them, where a table upon which to rest the trays has been impro- 

 vised from any material on hand. 



The egg trays are constructed of three-fourths inch material 16 

 inches square inside measurement, with cheesecloth or linen scrim 

 tacked on one side. A case large enough to contain 19 of these 

 one over the other and to allow for a surrounding air space of 1 

 inch is made of seven-eighths inch pine. Cleats of one-half inch 

 material are fastened to the bottom, on which the egg trays rest, 

 and 1-inch strips are attached to the inside corners to hold the stack 

 securely in position. The case is provided with hinged cover and 

 suitable handles. Such a case with 18 egg trays, the top tray being 



Fig. 38. — Floating box. 



filled with moss and serving as a cover for the eggs, has a capacity 

 for approximately 145,000 eggs. 



Wlien making up a shipment from a field station, the eggs are 

 transferred from the pails to trays by means of a graduated dipper. 

 About 8,000 are carefully placed on a tray and evenly distributed. 

 This is easily accomplished by a gentle shake of the tray, holding 

 it on a flat, smooth surface. A small amount of water in the measure, 

 added either before or after the eggs are on the tray, will facilitate 

 the work. The use of ice depends upon the outside air temperature 

 and the distance the eggs are to be transported in baggage cars. 

 For short shipments from the field little, if any, is needed. If the 

 case is to pass through a varied air temperature, moss is packed 

 in the space between the trays of eggs and the sides of the shipping 

 case for protection against abrupt changes in the weather. - 



If it is necessary to hold the eggs on the trays for any length of 

 time, as is often the case, each tray must be taken out and sprinkled 



