﻿102 NINTH ANNUAL REPORT 



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 weeks from December 26th till March 6th. None hatched, but three-fourths of the eggs 

 were at this date sound, the embryon full-formed and active as soon as released, but 

 pale, and evidently too feeble to burst the egg-shell. The rest were killed and more or 

 less decomposed. 



Experiment 15. — Two egg-ma;ses, after immersion for two weeks, were placed in 

 raoist earth. They began hatching 22 days afterward, and continued to do so for 6 

 days. It was subsequently found that only seven out of forty-eight eggs had col- 

 lapsed and failed to hatch. 



Experiment 16. — Two egg-masses immersed for two weeks, and drained for two 

 weeks; then placed in moist earth. Six days afterward thej' commenced hatching, 

 and continued to do so for 2 days. Subsequently examined, 28 out of 54 eggs had 

 perished. 



Experiment 17. — Two egg-masses alternately immersed, drained, and immersed 

 again every two weeks, were placed in moist earth. They commenced hatching two 

 days afterward, and continued to do so for 12 days. Upon subsequent examination, 

 23 out of 52 had perished. 



Experiment 18. — Twenty egg-masses immersed from Dec. 26, 1876, to Jan. 16, 1877; 

 then drained till Feb. 6th, then immersed till Feb. 27th, then drained again. On Feb. 

 3d, while dry, they commenced hatching numerously, and a few continued for two 

 days to hatch while immersed. An examination March 7th, showed about half of 

 them still alive, the rest rotten. 



Experiment ID. — Twenty egg-masses immersed from Dec. 26. 1876, to Jan. 23, 

 1877; then drained till Feb. 20th, then submerged again. They commenced hatching 

 on the 6th of Feb., and continued two days after the second submergence. On the 

 7th of March but about 5 per cent, had rotted. 



Experimeyit 20. — Two egg-masses immersed for 4 weeks ; then drained for 2 

 weeks ; then immersed for one week ; then placed in moist earth. They commenced 

 hatching 7 days afterward, and continued to do so for days. Subsequently exam- 

 ined, one of the masses was rotten ; the eggs in the other had all hatched. 



Experiment 21. — Twenty egg-masses kept from Dec. 26th, 1876, in earth saturated 

 with moisture. On Feb. 23d, 1877, they commenced hatching, and continued to do so 

 till March 7th, when all were found to have hatched, except one pod, which was 

 rotten. 



Experiment ;?^.— Twenty egg-masses, alternately placed every five days, from Dec. 

 26, 1876, in earth saturated with moisture and in earth which was very dry. Com- 

 menced hatching Feb. 14th, and continued till March 7th, when, upon examination, 

 9 of the pods were found rotten. 



Experiment 23. — Twenty egg-masses immersed and exposed out-doors Dec. 26, 

 1876. From that time till March 7th, the water was frozen and completely thawed at 

 6 different times, the vessel containing them, wtfich was of glass and admitted the 

 sunlight, several times breaking. The changes were as follows : Frozen till Jan. 10th ; 

 then thawed till the 12th ; then frozen till the 18th ; then thawed till the 20th ; then 

 frozen till the 26th ; then thawed till Feb. 20th ; then partly frozen till the 22d ; then 

 thawed till the 26th ; then frozen till the 27th ; then thawed till March 5th ; then 

 frozen. Examined on the 7th of March, one pod only was found rotten; the others 

 apparently sound. 



Experiment 24. — Two egg-masses under same conditions as in Expt, 23, till Feb. 

 9fch, when they were brought in-doors and i)laced in earth. One was dried up on the 

 10th ; the other commenced liatcliing on tlie 27th, and when examined on March 7th, 

 all the eggs in it were found to have hatched. 



