554 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [16] 



regular California box, bat with cross-sections and rectangular sides, 

 which I saw at Seewiese, and which, like the first mentioned, is made 

 by Ignaz Walther, of Marktreit. At Cosmaudorf, however, the Cali- 

 fornia trough only is used (Max von dem Borne type) without a third 

 box, and with the addition of the " catch-box," as also with von dem 

 Borne at Berneuchen, and to a great extent at Michaelstein. 



In the last-mentioned place some of the California troughs are of the 

 Schuster model— that is to say, with a lixed perforated partition ; but 

 some have a movable partition. The boxes are arranged on an incline 

 in such a manner that each incline has seven steps, so that the water 

 flowing from one spout passes from one box to the other, from the first 

 to the seventh in the row. 



At first sight this arrangement shows the same defects which have 

 been noted in the Coste stairway ; but the better distribution of the 

 water, the large pipe which serves for its outflow (which causes it to 

 fall below in the shape of a thin veil), and the quicker renewal of 

 the same, makes up in the California troughs for the scarcity of air, 

 which in the Coste troughs is remedied by the presence of small faucets, 

 which distribute the water in the shape of small springs. 



The best way of utilizing the California boxes, economizing space as 

 much as is compatible with the proper dispatch of the hatching pro- 

 cess, 1 have seen employed at Berneuchen. Here each spring supplies 

 only two troughs in succession, a box being placed between each couple. 

 Three models of California troughs are employed here, namely, Max 

 von dem Borne, normal type; funnel-shaped troughs (Bell); and auto- 

 matic selectors. 



The troughs are placed in cemented tanks, which successively are 

 used for various operations connected with fish-culture ; for keeping the 

 spawners and milters which are to furnish eggs for artificial fecunda- 

 tion, for hatching, and finally for the young fish. These tanks are 2 

 meters long, 50 centimeters broad, and 30 centimeters deep [about 79 by 

 20 by 12 inches]. 



By keeping the California boxes in tanks the water is prevented from 

 flowing on the pavement, and another useful object is reached by an 

 arrangement for regulating the depth of water in these tanks by means 

 of a pipe with an elbow, attached on the inside to the mouth of the dis- 

 charge pipe and terminating in a box of tin or perforated zinc. This 

 pipe may be more or less inclined by the operator, and allows him to 

 obtain the needed depth of water, as by increasing or decreasing the 

 contact of the water and the box he can raise or lower the level of the 

 'water in the tank. 



The addition of a wooden box into which the discharge pipe passes 

 from the tanks will not in any noticeable way influence the result of 

 fish-cultural operations ; but it will serve as an illustration of the ex- 

 emplary order and cleanliness whicli reign in Max von dem Borne's es- 

 tablishment. I can not imagine anything more convenient and cleanly, 



