American Fisheries Society. 103 



stand any amount of it, but it is going to be a very brief season 

 of work. It set>ms like swarms of flying ants or swarming bees — 

 it all comes on at once. 



Mr. Titcomb : I wanted to have the point of the size of the 

 eggs before they come up, brought out — would not one or two of 

 the pans hold the eggs from that twenty pound fish before the 

 water was applied ? 



Mr. Worth: Yes, I think so easily — I think that one of 

 them would, I am sure of it. 



Mr. Clark : Are the fry free swimmers the same as shad or 

 whitefish ? 



Mr. Worth: Yes, sir, and not more than tliree-sixteenth of 

 an inch when they hatch. 



Mr. Clark : They do not have a large sac ? 

 Mr. Worth: They have a decided sac — they have so much 

 that they look queer, but yet they are free swimmers. 



^Ir. Clark: They break right out of the shell and swim 

 awa}' ? 



Mr. Worth : Yes. 



^Ir. Titcomb : Won't you explain in the spawning process in 

 the rock fights how this blood is produced which colors the wa- 

 ters? 



Mr. Worth : It is assumed by all the fishermen that operate 

 on the river that it is caused by the gashes made by the fishes fin- 

 ning one another in their attempt to get nearer to the spawning 

 female fish. It causes a bloody stain in the water which I did 

 not myself witness, but I know it has taken place, from the gi-eat 

 number of persons .who told me about it, and that the water was 

 actually discolored with their red blood. 



Mr. Titcomb: Do you' think you could hold those unripe 

 females in a large pool until ripe ? 



Mr. Worth : I think it is worth trying, but we made no ex- 

 periment of the kind. The facilities for trying it are extraordin- 

 arily good there. 



Mr. Titcomb : Well, if it is possible, you might figure on .1 

 thousand million eggs as quickly as a less number, couldn't you ? 



Mr. Worth : Yes. It is one of the richest egg fields that [ 

 know of. 



Mr. Clark : What is the time of year of spasming? 



