788 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



m 



Fig. 1. — Ice-chest for shad-ejisra. 



thus introduce there a species of fish which upon this side of the water 

 is considered one of the table delicacies of the season. We began oar 

 experiments by endeavoring to solve the second question first. For 

 this purpose an ice-chest was constructed under the supervision of Mr. 

 Clark. It consisted of a covered wooden box (Fig. 1, a) about 3 feet in 



each dimension, within whick 

 was a second box or well, b, of 

 about one-half the size of th« 

 outer one. This well opened 

 upon one side of the chest 

 by a box-door, c, about 5 inches 

 in thickness, and so arranged 

 with slats, 1, 2, 3, 4, upon th© 

 inside that a large or smaU 

 quantity of ice could be packed 

 in it. The well was free from 

 the other sides of the chest all 

 around and on toj) by a space 

 of about 8 inches, nnd beneath 

 it was a drawer rf, of about 6 

 inches in depth. The well could 

 thus be entirely surrounded with 

 ice, and the temperature regulated by the amount of ic» 

 placed in the chest, and by more or less completely clos- 

 ing the door of the well and the cover of the chest. In 

 practice it was found that with a small amount of ice 

 around the sides of the well and in the drawer and door, 

 and a large cake upon the top of the well, an even and 

 moist temperature could be maintained throughout the 

 iclcheir^™^' ^°' <iliest with very little trouble. 



Within the well a series of trays (Fig. 2) were placed one above th« 

 other. They were made with wooden frames about 1 inch in thick- 

 ness, and were covered upon the bottom with cotton flannel. When 

 wanted for use the cotton-flannel bottom of the tray was thoroughly 

 moistened, and about 7,000 to 8,000 freshly impregnated eggs placed 

 upon it and carefully spread out with a feather. The temperature of 

 the eggs was then lowered very gradually until it was the same as that 

 of the well of the chest, the chest having previously been partially filled 

 with ice. The tray was then placed in the chest and kept at a uniform 

 temperature during the time of the experiment. The first lot of eggs 

 was placed in the chest on the evening of the 7th of June. This lot 

 consisted of about 25,000 eggs which were taken fresh from the spawnera 

 and distributed upon three or four trays. The temperature was reduced 

 very gradually to 37° when they were placed in the well, and kept at 

 370 and 38'^ until about 8 o'clock p. m. of the 9th of June. At this 

 time they appear to be all dead, and the temperature was allowed to 



