38 



towed by a tug in a covered yawl from the places of capture 

 — a distance of from three to ten miles — to the station at 

 Algonac. 



In the early part of June a pen about forty feet square 

 was made adjoining the factory, by means of an old seine, 

 between the bank of the river and some old spiles which 

 had once been part of the dock ; this pen was from one to 

 five feet deep, with sandy bottom, and a swift current of 

 clear water swept through it. 



On June 6th six females were placed in this pen, and on 

 the next day eight males, and on the 18th of June ten 

 more were added ; but they did not do well in confinement, 

 on account of the injuries they had received from the gaff 

 when captured. On June 17th the fish commenced dying, 

 and six were taken out, when it was found the eggs had 

 become hard and baked, and were almost the color of gold. 

 The milt of some of the males had shrunk to almost 

 nothing, and in others appeared to have ripened some- 

 what. On June 27th the remainder of these fish, hiving 

 become very weak, were all taken out. Up to this time 

 only six spent fish had been taken, though upwards of 

 4,000 were handled ; and none were captured that were ripe 

 excapt two that were taken on the 20th nearby, in the North 

 Channel. Of these two, one was nearly spent and the 

 other w^as about half gone. The fish were but just alive. 

 A male that was taken in the same catch was cut open and 

 the milt-bags crushed into a tub containing about six 

 gallons (say four inches deep) of water, and the half-spent 

 female was laid across the tub and split next to the vent, 

 and the eggs allowed to fall into the milt. The tub was 

 then kept in motion in the water for three and one-half 

 hours, until the eggs became pretty well separated and 

 ceased sticking. Two tubs were used, and one man 

 handled each tub, standing in the water above his knees. 

 There were probably in all about 40,000 eggs, of which 

 perhaps one-half were thoroughly se^iarated and fertilized. 



