﻿46 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIOJSER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  masses. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  passed 
  over 
  to 
  the 
  washer, 
  who 
  repeats 
  the 
  

   swaying 
  and 
  the 
  shaking, 
  and, 
  having 
  weighed 
  them, 
  pours 
  in 
  a 
  small 
  

   quantity 
  of 
  water 
  and 
  goes 
  through 
  the 
  mixing 
  process 
  for 
  a 
  third 
  

   time. 
  After 
  this 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  immediately 
  washed 
  by 
  jjouring 
  in 
  an 
  

   abundance 
  of 
  water 
  and 
  turning 
  it 
  off, 
  and 
  repeating 
  the 
  operation 
  

   until 
  the 
  water 
  appears 
  quite 
  clear, 
  when 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  placed 
  on 
  the 
  

   shelves 
  in 
  the 
  rear 
  of 
  the 
  apartment, 
  to 
  await 
  the 
  process 
  of 
  swelling. 
  

   When 
  the 
  egg 
  first 
  comes 
  from 
  the 
  fish 
  it 
  has 
  a 
  soft 
  and 
  velvety 
  feeling 
  

   to 
  the 
  hand, 
  and 
  the 
  outer 
  shell 
  lies 
  loose 
  and 
  slack 
  against 
  the 
  yolk. 
  

   The 
  presence 
  of 
  water 
  excites 
  the 
  shell 
  to 
  action 
  ; 
  its 
  pores 
  absorb 
  water 
  

   with 
  such 
  force 
  that 
  any 
  foreign 
  object 
  coming 
  in 
  contact 
  is 
  sucked 
  

   against 
  it, 
  and 
  in 
  consequence 
  of 
  this 
  suction 
  the 
  eggs 
  stick 
  to 
  the 
  pan 
  

   and 
  to 
  each 
  other. 
  In 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  20 
  or 
  30 
  minutes 
  this 
  process 
  is 
  

   completed, 
  the 
  shell 
  is 
  swollen 
  to 
  its 
  utmost 
  extent 
  and 
  is 
  firm 
  to 
  the 
  

   touch, 
  the 
  space 
  between 
  the 
  shell 
  and 
  the 
  yolk 
  is 
  now 
  filled 
  with 
  water, 
  

   and 
  adhesion 
  to 
  outer 
  objects 
  ceases. 
  

  

  The 
  eggs 
  can 
  now 
  be 
  laid 
  upon 
  trays 
  and 
  carried 
  to 
  the 
  hatchery. 
  

   No 
  serious 
  harm 
  would 
  ensue 
  if 
  the 
  eggs 
  should 
  be 
  disturbed 
  during 
  

   the 
  process 
  of 
  swelling, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  better 
  not 
  to 
  spread 
  them 
  upon 
  trays 
  

   until 
  they 
  have 
  attained 
  full 
  size 
  and 
  ceased 
  to 
  adhere 
  to 
  each 
  other, 
  

   and 
  they 
  are 
  left 
  on 
  the 
  shelves 
  until 
  the 
  spawning 
  for 
  the 
  day 
  is 
  over, 
  

   when 
  all 
  are 
  carried 
  to 
  the 
  hatchery 
  together. 
  After 
  the 
  absorption 
  of 
  

   water 
  the 
  eggs 
  must 
  be 
  handled 
  very 
  gently, 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  now 
  suscep- 
  

   tible 
  to 
  injury 
  from 
  sudden 
  shocks, 
  such 
  as 
  might 
  ensue 
  from 
  pouring 
  

   them 
  from 
  pan 
  to 
  pan, 
  or 
  setting 
  the 
  pan 
  containing 
  them 
  down 
  roughly 
  

   ui)on 
  a 
  wooden 
  table, 
  and 
  to 
  guard 
  against 
  such 
  injuries 
  the 
  tables 
  and 
  

   shelves 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  old 
  nets 
  or 
  other 
  soft 
  material. 
  

  

  CONDITIONS 
  AFFECTING 
  FECUNDATION 
  OF 
  EGGS. 
  

  

  While 
  the 
  spawn 
  of 
  a 
  salmon 
  is, 
  with 
  very 
  rare 
  exceptions, 
  in 
  normal 
  

   and 
  healthy 
  condition 
  and 
  capable 
  of 
  fecundation 
  within 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  

   the 
  spawning 
  season, 
  occasionally 
  a 
  fish 
  is 
  found 
  whose 
  eggs 
  are 
  in 
  

   some 
  way 
  defective. 
  Sometimes 
  they 
  are 
  developed 
  unevenly, 
  the 
  

   ovaries 
  containing 
  eggs 
  in 
  various 
  stages 
  of 
  growth, 
  some 
  mature 
  and 
  

   some 
  rudimentary; 
  sometimes 
  all 
  the 
  eggs 
  of 
  a 
  fish 
  are 
  abnormally 
  

   small, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  all 
  have 
  defects 
  which 
  render 
  them 
  incapable 
  of 
  

   fecundation. 
  But 
  among 
  the 
  thousands 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  manipulated 
  

   at 
  the 
  station 
  not 
  1 
  in 
  300 
  has 
  had 
  defects 
  involving 
  as 
  many 
  as 
  20 
  

   per 
  cent 
  of 
  her 
  eggs, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  sj^awn 
  deemed 
  of 
  normal 
  quality 
  there 
  

   can 
  hardly 
  be 
  more 
  than 
  1 
  defective 
  egg 
  in 
  400. 
  Among 
  the 
  males 
  no 
  

   instance 
  has 
  occurred 
  where 
  there 
  was 
  reason 
  to 
  suspect 
  the 
  milt 
  of 
  

   being 
  of 
  defective 
  quality 
  if 
  secured 
  from 
  a 
  living 
  fish. 
  

  

  In 
  1872 
  experiments 
  were 
  made 
  bearing 
  on 
  the 
  duration 
  of 
  the 
  

   capacity 
  for 
  fecundation 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  with 
  interesting 
  results. 
  From 
  

   eight 
  lots 
  of 
  eggs 
  taken 
  from 
  dead 
  fish, 
  the 
  rates 
  of 
  impregnation 
  ranged 
  

   from 
  92^ 
  per 
  cent 
  down 
  to 
  zero. 
  From 
  a 
  fish 
  tbat 
  had 
  been 
  dead 
  2 
  

  

  