.Imcrican l-'islicrics Society. ill 



secured by the use of the horizontal screen. Possibly the simple 

 wooden frame wire hatching tray is the form most j^enerally used. 

 We wish to extract the life-giving virtue from all the water, and 

 not of one strata only, so we j^eg our tray in posuion at the 

 greatest angle possible while still retaining the ciUTent both 

 above and below it. 



Many of the nearly hatched end)ryo have their \itality so 

 weakened by the diversion or impeding of the free How of tlie 

 current caused by the settling of the shells on them that they die 

 "aborning," or at least before the sac is al)sorl)ed. 



C logged screens at an\' time, ar.d more especialK during the 

 hatching period and earl_\- life of the fry, is wilful fish slaughter. 

 Absolute cleanliness should be the motto at all liiues. 



In theorw we have a free anil etpial flow of water through- 

 out the entire trough. How is it in practice? In your daily 

 round, have you not some morning found glazed eyes where but 

 yesterday all was well? It may he a little group here and there, 

 or it may be a streak running from one end of the tray to the 

 other. Theory will not give them back life. Investigation may 

 or may not fix the cause. Whv do so manv embrvo fail to l)reak 

 their shells? Thev were apparently strong and well developed up 

 to or almost to the hatching ]:)erio(l. There they are, there tliey 

 remain. Living or dead, which? It is possible a few ma\- still 

 have sufficient vitslity to lireak forth into a brief weak and 

 stunted existence; but is it not a fact that tliere remains on the 

 trays at the close of the proper hatching period, in almost everv 

 lot, an uncomfortably large number of eggs of this description? 

 If this is a fact, why? Can it not I)e overcome- The cause, I 

 firnilv believe to l^e deficient, or. rather, imperfect aereation 

 arising through some diversion or obstruction of the current. 

 Theory and fact have confiicted ere this. You may amuse vour- 

 self with theor_\- if so disposed, but facts such as these are too 

 uncomfortably assertive for any such pastime. The ciu-e. more 

 perfect apparatus, giving more tliorough. j^erfect and leliable 

 current, better aeration ; result, stronger fry and more of them. 

 From personal experience at the Xashua Station, the salmon 

 basket of the Pacific coast, somewhat modified as to size, would 



