EXPORTATION OF FISHES AND HATCHING APPARATUS. 1009 



the shad cannot be considered to be. Mr. Livingston Stone uses it in 

 packing salmon eggs for their long journey from the Sacramento Kiver 

 across the continent to the Atlantic seaboard. Mr. Stone's method of 

 packing the boxes containing the eggs in a large crate, with a space 

 filled with a packing of ferns or leaves and arranged so that a quantity 

 of ice is in contact with the boxes, to be constantly resapplied, is also an 

 important device for the welfare of the eggs in a long railroad journey. 



We have used the same means in shipping the whitefish ova (of the 

 Coregonus alhus) from Michigan to California and to ISTew Zealand. 



A few general suggestions, which are the result of observations, as to 

 the condition of eggs when unpacking consignments from distant points, 

 may not be out of place. 



The transportation of eggs long distances, as from England to Aus- 

 tralia or New Zealand, from the United States to Germany, from Ger- 

 many to the United States, from the United States to New Zealand or 

 Australia, or even from one seaboard of the United States to the other, 

 has now been repeatedly tried, and, except in the case of a few shipments, 

 with too large a percentage of loss to consider the present methods to 

 be in any great degree perfect. 



The conditions necessary to the welfare of the eggs seem to be, avoid- 

 ance of changes of temperature, snug packing in a soft material that 

 does not compress them, the absence of decaying or fermenting matter 

 from contact with the eggs, and probably protection from severe jarring. 

 Where an attendant accompanies the package, the second condition is 

 not so important, as he will, of course, see to it that the package is kept 

 right side up. Of course, nothing will insure the safety of the eggs more 

 than a competent attendant, as he will see that all the conditions named 

 are constantly fulfilled. 



Even where use of the Atkins-Stone method has been employed, a 

 repacking of the eggs at the end of a week's journey would in most in- 

 stances be beneficial. If there should be no attendant with the eggs, 

 their consignment to a competent fish-culturist en route, or arrangement 

 with the forwarding company to permit some expert to repack them at 

 some point during the journey, would be good management. 



To fulfill the first condition named, the packing of the eggs of the 

 species which have been transported in this country, such as the Penob- 

 scot or Atlantic salmon {Salmo salar Lin.), the California salmon 

 {Salmo quinnat K-ich.), the Land-locked Salmon, (Salmo sebago Gir.), the 

 brook-trout {Salmo fontinalis Mitch.), the Oquassa trout, or blue-back, 

 {Salmo oquassa Gir.), the Mackinaw trout {Salmo namaycush Pennant), 

 the Skaneateles lake-trout, {Salmo confinis (?) DeKay), the California 

 brook-trout, {Salmo iridea Gibbons), the Utah trout {Salmo virginaUs 

 Gir.), the lake whitefish {Coregonus alhus Les.), the Otsego whitefish 

 {Coregonus otsego Clinton), is best done in a cold room, where the tem- 

 perature is about the freezing-point, say between 30° and 36^ Fahren- 

 heit. The sphagnum moss should be fresh, and will be better if it shall 



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