﻿106 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  uiontli 
  earlier 
  than 
  the 
  lake 
  trout, 
  on 
  a 
  cobble, 
  bowlder, 
  or 
  gravel 
  

   bottom, 
  and 
  in 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  8 
  feet 
  of 
  water. 
  

  

  OBTAINING 
  THE 
  EGGS. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  spawning 
  season 
  men 
  are 
  employed 
  by 
  the 
  different 
  

   lake-trout 
  hatcheries 
  to 
  accompany 
  the 
  tugs 
  to 
  their 
  fishing 
  grounds 
  

   and 
  strip 
  the 
  ripe 
  fish 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  nets. 
  These 
  "spawn- 
  

   takers," 
  or 
  "stri[)pers," 
  must 
  possess 
  strong 
  constitutions 
  to 
  withstand 
  

   the 
  many 
  hardships 
  to 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  subjected. 
  Where 
  very 
  exten- 
  

   sive 
  nets 
  are 
  operated 
  by 
  a 
  boat 
  and 
  fishing 
  is 
  exceptionally 
  good, 
  two 
  

   men 
  are 
  detailed 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  ground, 
  one 
  as 
  spawn-taker, 
  the 
  other 
  as 
  

   helper. 
  Pans, 
  pails, 
  and 
  dippers 
  are 
  taken 
  on 
  board 
  and 
  made 
  ready 
  

   by 
  the 
  time 
  the 
  nets 
  are 
  reached. 
  As 
  the 
  net 
  is 
  lifted 
  the 
  men 
  disen- 
  

   tangle 
  the 
  trout 
  and 
  throw 
  them 
  on 
  deck, 
  where 
  the 
  spawn-takers 
  sort 
  

   them 
  over, 
  taking 
  the 
  eggs 
  from 
  ripe 
  females 
  and 
  impregnating 
  them 
  

   with 
  milt 
  from 
  the 
  males. 
  During 
  very 
  severe 
  weather 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  

   thrown 
  into 
  the 
  hold 
  instead 
  of 
  on 
  ded^" 
  and 
  the 
  work 
  is 
  done 
  there. 
  

  

  The 
  manner 
  of 
  taking 
  the 
  eggs 
  is 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  used 
  in 
  taking 
  

   spawn 
  from 
  other 
  trouts 
  and 
  salmon. 
  First, 
  the 
  female 
  is 
  taken 
  and 
  

   the 
  eggs, 
  if 
  mature, 
  are 
  gently 
  stripped 
  into 
  an 
  ordinary 
  milk-pan 
  and 
  

   then 
  impregnated 
  with 
  milt 
  from 
  the 
  male. 
  This 
  operation 
  is 
  repeated 
  

   until 
  the 
  pan 
  is 
  about 
  half 
  filled, 
  when 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  ''washed 
  up" 
  and 
  

   poured 
  into 
  a 
  5-gallon 
  jjail. 
  The 
  "washing-up" 
  process 
  is 
  performed 
  

   by 
  filling 
  the 
  pans 
  with 
  water 
  and 
  then 
  allowing 
  it 
  to 
  run 
  off, 
  repeating 
  

   the 
  same 
  until 
  the 
  water 
  which 
  is 
  poured 
  off 
  no 
  longer 
  appears 
  milky; 
  

   as 
  the 
  specific 
  gravity 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  j)revents 
  their 
  rising 
  to 
  the 
  surface 
  

   this 
  can 
  be 
  done 
  without 
  loss 
  if 
  ordinary 
  care 
  is 
  exercised. 
  The 
  pans 
  

   are 
  refilled 
  and 
  emptied 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner 
  until 
  the 
  pail 
  is 
  half 
  or 
  

   three-fourths 
  full, 
  when 
  it 
  will 
  contain 
  about 
  75,000 
  eggs; 
  other 
  palls 
  

   or 
  buckets 
  are 
  brought 
  into 
  use 
  as 
  often 
  as 
  necessary. 
  To 
  keep 
  the 
  

   eggs 
  from 
  dying, 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  changed 
  in 
  the 
  large 
  pails 
  every 
  hour 
  

   until 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  boat 
  and 
  transferred 
  to 
  flannel 
  trays 
  or 
  

   floating-boxes. 
  All 
  pans, 
  j)ails, 
  and 
  other 
  metallic 
  apparatus 
  are 
  coated 
  

   with 
  asphaltum 
  paint 
  to 
  i:)revent 
  rusting, 
  as 
  rust 
  is 
  fatal 
  to 
  the 
  eggs. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  weather 
  is 
  so 
  cold 
  th;it 
  there 
  is 
  any 
  chance 
  of 
  eggs 
  

   freezing 
  to 
  the 
  pan, 
  two 
  pans 
  are 
  sometimes 
  used. 
  The 
  outside 
  one 
  is 
  

   partly 
  filled 
  with 
  water, 
  upon 
  which 
  floats 
  the 
  pan 
  that 
  is 
  to 
  receive 
  

   the 
  eggs 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  stripped. 
  The 
  pan 
  of 
  water 
  protects 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  inside 
  pan 
  where 
  the 
  eggs 
  rest 
  and 
  in 
  that 
  way 
  their 
  temiDerature 
  

   is 
  kept 
  above 
  the 
  freezing-point. 
  

  

  SHIPPING 
  EGGS 
  TO 
  THE 
  HATCHERY. 
  

  

  When 
  spawn-takers 
  are 
  ojierating 
  at 
  a 
  distance 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  held 
  at 
  

   field 
  stations 
  located 
  at 
  convenient 
  points, 
  whence 
  they 
  are 
  sent 
  to 
  the 
  

   hatching-house 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  possible, 
  but 
  if 
  the 
  stations 
  are 
  at 
  isolated 
  

   ])oints 
  on 
  the 
  lakes 
  it 
  is 
  ofteu 
  necessary 
  to 
  hold 
  the 
  eggs 
  for 
  several 
  

   days, 
  and 
  occasionally 
  weeks, 
  before 
  means 
  of 
  transportation 
  can 
  be 
  

   obtained. 
  In 
  such 
  a 
  case, 
  the 
  eggs 
  sire 
  held 
  in 
  floating-boxes, 
  which 
  • 
  

   are 
  made 
  liA 
  feet 
  by 
  li 
  feet 
  by 
  1 
  loot, 
  with 
  the 
  ends 
  rounded 
  up 
  about 
  6 
  

  

  