ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION OF SHAD 477 



with the right hand. The head is carried to the k>ft side under the 

 arm and there retained by the arm, the tail ])eing l)ent shghtly 

 upward with the left hand. When the fish is properly adjusted, its 

 head is nearly concealed. The fish is held firmly over a moist pan, 

 and with a moderate downward pressure of the right hand the eggs 

 will flow freely if mature. Two lish may be stripped into each pan. 

 Even with the utmost care it is impossible to preserve the life oi the 

 fish during the stripping process. When taken from the water, the 

 shad is a very muscular fish, and if not firmly held while obtaining 

 the eggs it is very likely to slip from the operator's grasp and flounder 

 into the pan of eggs, probably throwing a large portion of them out 

 and causing damage to those that remain. 



The fh'st half tcaspoonful of eggs should be pressed out into the 

 palm of the left hand and inspected. Skilled operatives usually dis- 

 cern ripeness by general outward appearance. A slow but almost 

 positive test consists in running some of tlie eggs into water, when, 

 if dead, they \Aall have the appearance of boiled rice. Bad eggs are 

 sometimes beyond the detection of the most skilled fish-culturists, 

 however. If the eggs are white, opaque, or of milky appearance, the 

 fish is put aside. Immature eggs are white, small, antl adhering in 

 clots, or they may be transparent and yet im^delding to pressure. 



The former are valueless, while the latter can sometimes be uti- 

 lized by putting the fish aside to soften. Both ripe and green eggs 

 sometiines occur in the same fish, but only expert operatives can hope 

 to take the one and leave the other. If eggs are mature, but little 

 pressure is necessary to start them; and if not, they are only injured 

 by squeezing, and will either not flow at all or will come away with 

 difficulty in clotted masses and generally with a little blood. 



To obtain the milt, the spawn taker catches the fish by the back, 

 taking hold of the undersitle with the right hand. Without relaxing 

 pressure at any point the milt is forced out with the thumb and fore- 

 finger. Good milt is so thin that it flows in a stead)^ stream, and 

 from some fish it can be ejected widely over the surface of the eggs, 

 but in fish that have been dead some minutes the milt is lumpy and 

 flows only in drops. After the milt has been applied, from half a 

 pmt to a pint of water from the river is added and the pan given a 

 slow rotary motion, continued until the milt is thoroughly mLxed, 

 when the water will have a milky appearance. 



Shad eggs have not the same strong adhesive tendency displayed 

 by eggs of most of the Salmonidse immediately after fertilization. 

 Nevertheless, the adhesive tendency is apparent, and it is important 

 that the eggs and milt be thoroughly mixed by movement of tlie pan 

 as dcscribecl above; otherwise a large portion of the eggs comprising 

 the lower strata in the pan will not expand with the absorption of 

 water and will fail entirely of fertilization. 



In one minute after thorough mixing the milt may be washed off 

 with safety, but usually several pans are to be looked after, when the 

 milt may be allowed to remain 5, 10, or even 15 minutes. After the 

 liist pan of eggs has been fertilized they are rinsed, beginning with 

 those first taken, by pouring in a quart of water. The stream of 

 water should be dhected between the eggs and the sides of the pan, 

 as the eggs may be injured if the water is poiu'ed directly upon them. 

 Then the pan is tipped, the water being drained over the iHU^o slowly. 

 The operation shoidd be repeated, and the third time the water 



