﻿146 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  arm 
  and 
  there 
  retained 
  by 
  the 
  arm, 
  the 
  tail 
  being 
  bent 
  slightly 
  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. 
  The 
  strokes 
  are 
  continued 
  until 
  there 
  are 
  signs 
  of 
  

   blood, 
  which 
  usually 
  accompany 
  the 
  last 
  eggs. 
  The 
  fingers 
  should 
  not 
  

   touch 
  the 
  gills 
  of 
  the 
  fish, 
  as 
  laceration 
  of 
  these 
  organs 
  causes 
  a 
  flow 
  of 
  

   blood 
  injurious 
  to 
  the 
  eggs. 
  Two 
  fish 
  may 
  be 
  strijiped 
  into 
  each 
  pan. 
  

  

  As 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  spawn 
  is 
  all 
  obtained, 
  the 
  shad 
  is 
  discarded, 
  it 
  being 
  

   impossible 
  to 
  preserve 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  delicate 
  fish, 
  even 
  with 
  the 
  

   utmost 
  care. 
  But 
  though 
  it 
  has 
  slight 
  tenacity 
  of 
  life 
  when 
  taken 
  from 
  

   the 
  water, 
  the 
  shad 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  muscular 
  fish, 
  and 
  if 
  not 
  firmly 
  held 
  it 
  will 
  

   flounder 
  and 
  splash 
  in 
  the 
  pan 
  of 
  eggs 
  and 
  probably 
  throw 
  a 
  large 
  

   proportion 
  out 
  and 
  damage 
  some 
  of 
  those 
  that 
  remain. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  half 
  teaspooufu> 
  of 
  eggs 
  should 
  be 
  pressed 
  out 
  into 
  the 
  

   palm 
  of 
  the 
  left 
  hand 
  and 
  inspected. 
  Skilled 
  operatives 
  can 
  usually 
  

   discern 
  ripeness 
  by 
  general 
  outward 
  appearance. 
  A 
  slow 
  and 
  yet 
  

   almost 
  positive 
  test 
  consists 
  in 
  running 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  into 
  water, 
  

   when, 
  if 
  dead, 
  they 
  will 
  have 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  boiled 
  rice. 
  But 
  bad 
  

   eggs 
  are 
  sometimes 
  beyond 
  the 
  detection 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  skilled 
  fish- 
  

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

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

   clots; 
  or 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  transparent 
  and 
  yet 
  unyielding 
  to 
  pressure. 
  

   The 
  former 
  are 
  valueless, 
  while 
  the 
  latter 
  can 
  sometimes 
  be 
  utilized 
  by 
  

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

   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. 
  After 
  the 
  spawn 
  is 
  taken 
  

   away, 
  the 
  fish 
  has 
  a 
  soft 
  and 
  flaccid 
  appearance 
  about 
  the 
  abdomen, 
  

   which 
  after 
  natural 
  sj)awning 
  becomes 
  contracted 
  and 
  drawn 
  up, 
  taper- 
  

   ing 
  slenderly 
  toward 
  the 
  tail. 
  

  

  Eggs 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  grade 
  may 
  be 
  impaired 
  by 
  intermixture 
  of 
  overripe 
  

   or 
  green 
  ones, 
  lumps 
  of 
  milt, 
  tissues 
  of 
  the 
  sperm 
  sac, 
  or 
  fish 
  scales. 
  The 
  

   overrij)e 
  and 
  unfertilized 
  ones 
  can 
  be 
  discarded, 
  and 
  a 
  tiny 
  net, 
  an 
  inch 
  

   square, 
  or 
  a 
  straw 
  or 
  twig, 
  maybe 
  used 
  in 
  removing 
  foreign 
  substances. 
  

   The 
  spawn-taker 
  should 
  clean 
  the 
  eggs 
  before 
  delivering 
  them 
  at 
  the 
  

   hatchery, 
  and 
  no 
  subsequent 
  care 
  can 
  compensate 
  for 
  his 
  neglect. 
  

   Experienced 
  men 
  rarely 
  bring 
  in 
  bad 
  eggs, 
  unless 
  as 
  a 
  result 
  of 
  vari- 
  

   able 
  and 
  unfavorable 
  weather 
  conditions. 
  

  

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

   taking 
  hold 
  of 
  the 
  under 
  side 
  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 
  steady 
  stream, 
  and 
  from 
  

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

  

  