80 TWENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL MEETING 



SOME NOTES ON THE MONTANA GRAYLING. 



BY DR. JAMES A. HENSHALL. 



My paper on the Montana grayling, read at the last meeting 

 of the Society, contains some statements obtained at second 

 hand which I wish to modify. My assistant engaged in col- 

 lecting grayling eggs at Red Rock Lake, Montana, reported to 

 me last season that the eggs when first extruded were quite 

 adhesive, causing them to form in bunches, soon followed by 

 a rapid development of fungus, which caused the death of the 

 egg. When the eggs were received at Bozeman station they 

 were clear, crystal white in color, which I gave as the char- 

 acteristic hue. 



I found this season, from personal observation, that the 

 eggs when first extruded were of a rich yellow color, owing 

 to the large oil drop, which renders them almost semi- 

 buoyant ; but after a few days of incubation they became quite 

 pale. I also discovered that when first extruded the eggs 

 were not at all adhesive, but if not exposed to a pretty strong 

 pressure or current of water after fertilization (instead of be- 

 ing placed in the ordinary manner on flat trays), fungus soon 

 formed, with the consequent adhesiveness and bunching of the 

 eggs. This season we employed the hatching jar and the Stone- 

 Williamson basket trays, instead of the flat tray, and had no 

 trouble with fungus or bunching of the eggs, although we had 

 but two feet fall of water from the reservoir trough. This 

 proved the prediction made in my paper last year, that the eggs 

 should be subjected to a strong current or pressure of water 

 to obtain the best results; and this can be accomplished by 

 the use of the hatching jar or the Stone-Williamson basket 

 tray. 



The grayling embryo is so active and lively, and the egg so 

 buoyant, that there is a constant tendency to its floating off 

 from the ordinary flat tray. This method is, however, still 

 employed in England. In a letter recently received from Mr. 

 Andrews, of the Surrey Trout Farm, Haslemere, England, he 

 says : 



''We find it an advantage when spawning the fish (grayling) 



