716 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



in oue case 4G being counted on a single egg-, and in addition a peculiar 

 formation, tliought to be minute algte, was often noticed. Just what 

 influence these latter would exert, or whether they would occur in the 

 clear water outside the harbor, is not known. Thus, owing to the many 

 different circumstances that tend to destroy the eggs, probably but a 

 very small number out of a million are successfully hatched, and of the 

 young fish but few reach maturity. 



To overcome these difidculties nature has made the cod one of the most 

 prolific of the ocean fishes, and we find not only thousands but millions 

 of eggs in a single female. All members of this family contain large 

 numbers of eggs, but the cod-fish is the most prolific of aU. 



The exact number varies greatly with the individual, being dependent 

 largely upon its size and age. To ascertain the number for the differ- 

 ent sizes, a series of six fish was taken representing various stages of 

 growth from 21 to 75 pounds, and the eggs were estimated. Care was 

 exercised that all should be green, so that no eggs should have been 

 thrown, and that they might be of nearly equal size. The ovaries were 

 taken from the fish and accurately weighed j after which small quan- 

 tities were taken from different parts of each and weighed on delicately- 

 adjusted scales, and these carefully counted. With this data it was 

 easy to ascertain approximately the number for each fish. 



The results obtained are given in Table Ko. I, appended to this article, 

 showing a 21-pouud fish to have 2,700,000, and a 75-pound one, 9,100,000. 

 The largest number of eggs found in the pollock was 4,029,200, and in 

 the haddock 1,840,000. These facts are given in detail in Tables II 

 and III. 



When the eggs are first seen in the fish they are so small as to be 

 hardly distinguishable, but they continue to increase in size until matu- 

 rity, and, after impregnation, have a diameter, depending upon the size 

 of the parent, varying from one-nineteenth to one-seventeenth of an inch. 

 A 5 to 8 pound fish has eggs of the smaller size, while a 25-pound one 

 has them between an eighteenth and a seventeenth. 



From weighing and measuring known quantities it is found that one 

 pound avoirdupois will contain about 190,000 of the smaller size, or that 

 1,000,000 eggs well drained wHl weigh about 5 pounds. Again, by as- 

 suming one-nineteenth of an inch as the standard, or by precipitating a 

 known quantity in chromic acid and measuring, we find one quart, or 

 57f cubic inches, to contain a little less than 400,000, or that 1,000,000 

 will measure between 2i and 3 quarts. . 



With these facts in mind, it will be an easy matter to estimate the 

 quantity of eggs taken for hatching purposes during any given season. 



When the Httle fish first break through the shell of the egg that con- 

 fines them the fetal curve or crook is stiU quite noticeable, but they soon 

 straighten, and are then about five-sixteenths of an inch in length. At 

 this time the yolk-sack, situated well forward, is quite large, but so 

 transparent as to escape the notice of the ordinary observer. This is 



