48 American Fisheries Society 



ing of each ovary, near the end of the ovary, is deflected to 

 the sides and attached to the left and right abdominal wall, 

 respectively, to form the oviducts w^hich are open above save 

 for the peritoneal lining of the lower surface of the air bladder. 

 At the posterior termination of the mesentery the two mem- 

 branes unite to form a common passage. This arrangement 

 makes a long left and a short right oviduct. The appearance 

 of the ovaries turgid with eggs, when ventrally observed, is 

 as of one continuous ovary or mass of eggs. But by careful 

 manipulation, the two ovaries may be separated showing an 

 oblique line of separation directed backward from right to 

 left. When in this condition, the left oviducal membrane is 

 pressed against the lateral abdominal wall by the gravid right 

 ovary, and it is not until the right or posterior ovary is empty 

 that this oviduct can be filled with eggs. Therefore, a partly 

 spent fish may appear to have but one ovary, the right ovary 

 with its immature eggs being collapsed and pressed between 

 the turgid left oviduct and the right abdominal wall. 



The previously mentioned inaccuracies regarding salmonoid 

 ovaries were in consequence of observations upon spent fish 

 in which the ovaries were collapsed and disarranged, perhaps 

 by manipulation. Concerning the smelt, Huxley stated that 

 he washed the eggs from the ovaries. 



The significance of the foregoing as concerns fish-cultural 

 practices is that the ripe eggs do not naturally fall into the 

 abdominal cavity, and if by any means they are displaced into 

 the cavity, they cannot be extruded or expressed. The pre- 

 valent method of stripping the fish not only is liable to dis- 

 place the eggs, but to rupture the ovarian membrane, and thus 

 render the fish partially or wholly sterile thereafter, if the fish 

 does not die. 



The difference in length of the ovaries suggests in the 

 salmon and trout, and absolutely indicates in the case of the 

 smelt, that the eggs do not ripen in both ovaries at exactly the 

 same time, and it is an established fact that the eggs do not 



