PACIFIC SALMON FISHERIES. 209 



fastening eagle feathers to a thin strip 8 inches long by ]iV inches wide works much 

 more satisfactorily for this purpose than a wing. An ordinary hand scaff net about 

 12 by 14 inches in size for remo\ing dead eggs from the tank, a dipper, and a bi'.cket 

 complete the outfit. Wood and metal surfaces in all equipment should be well 

 coated vrith asphaltum or some similar preparation. 



At Yes Bay as soon as five or ten million eggs are far enough advanced to stand light 

 concussion tlie baskets are lifted out of the troughs and the eggs are stirred thoroughly 

 with the hand, which causes practically all of the unfertile or empty eggs to turn wliite. 

 As soon as the line of the fish shows plainly when held up to the light and there is a 

 distinct cur^-ature to the tail, the eggs are sufficiently well advanced in development 

 to stand stirring. After this process the baskets are returned to the troughs and allowed 

 to remain three days, for when first turned the unfertile eggs are about as heaAy as the 

 good eggs and consequently would sink if the salt solution were applied at once. 



On the fourth day after stirring, everj-thing being in readiness, five or six baskets are 

 removed from a trough and set on top to drain . After a few moments a basket is grasped 

 at each end and is lowered into the tank containing the solution until the liquid conies 

 throtigh the eggs. A light shake is then given to level up the eggs in the basket. Next, 

 slowly and very gently, the basket is lowered until the brine comes almost to its rim 

 and is held perfectly still for a moment. All the eggs in the basket will rise, but soon 

 the good eggs will begin to sink, and presently, if it is a basket of poor eggs, the surface 

 will be completely covered with bad eggs. Now, without the slightest jar. the basket is 

 lowered far enough below the surface to permit an egg to float over the rim. The bad 

 eggs will immediately start toward the edges of the tank. After a few seconds the 

 basket is gently lowered imtil it r«>sts upon the bottom. The remaining dead eggs are 

 then bnished away from over the liasket by means of quick, short, and light strokes of 

 the feather fan, long, sweeping strokes are to be careiiilly avoided. One end of the 

 basket is then gently raisea until it is above the surface of the ])rine and the l)asket 

 is drawn toward the end of the tank and out from under the floating dead eggs. At 

 the same time the fan is used witli the other liand to aid in moving any of these floating 

 eggs to one side. The fan is tlien dropped and the lower end of the basket is grasped 

 and the whole is quickly raL'^ed out of the solution. Tlie basket is set at an angle on 

 the tank for a moment to drain and is then carried to the hatching trough. The 

 attendant lifts out another basket to drain along with the four or five others originally 

 removed and returns to the tank of l)rine with the basket that has been draining the 

 longest. 



While this is being done the otlier operator skims the dead eggs off the surface of the 

 brine and places the frame described above in the tank for a moment to stop all motion 

 of the scilution. After five or six baskets have been treated, any eggs that have settled 

 to the bottom of the tank are removed, as they absorb and weaken the brine. It is 

 necessarj', as earlier mentioned, to add a little fresh brine after handling each liasket. 

 The eggs should l)e as clean as po.=sil)le, as the solution will not be effective when it 

 containH much sediment. A 1-inch Imle with plug in one corner of tlie tank is con- 

 venient for drawing off any dooosit of this character. Should failure occur in treating 

 a basket of eggs, as, for example, if by sudden jar they are all caused to nink, or if the 

 brine is too weak or too strong, the basket must be put back in the hatching trough, 

 as it will not respond to treatment again the same day. 



A t Yes Bay last winter a large portion of the 72,000,000 eggs were thoroughly cleaned 

 up at one handling. Two men ran as many as 10,000,000 eggs through the salt bath in 

 a single day. It is customary on the day after treating the eggs to have them gone o\er 

 BO that if any dead eggs remain they may be picked out by hand. This, however, 

 requires very little time, as but few dead eggs are found. No alarm need be felt if the 

 eggs seem to shrink as a result of the immersion, for they will soon resume their normal 

 size upon being replaced in fresh water. 



The use of the salt solution has been extended lately to the handling of lake trout 

 eggs in Michigan and Minne.sfjta, and there appears to be no reason why it is not equally 

 well adapted to the eggs of other sal monoids. Certainly its many advantages com- 

 mend furtlier experimentation in this direction. 



The oggs of the salmon hiitch very gradually at first, only a small 

 proportion coming out the first day, but the i)um1)er increases daily 

 untd the climax is reached, whiMi large numbers of young burst 

 their shells in a single day. As at this time the vast number of dis- 

 carded shells are aj^t to clog up the ^uard screens at the outlets of 

 the troughs, great care and vigdance is necessary to prevent this by 

 thoroughly cleansing them frecpiently. 



11312°— 21 14 



