Go 



it some blood aud excrement dropped into the bottle. It was 

 tested on a hundred or more good eggs. The estimate of 

 number of eggs taken is 225,000. 



June 2nd. — Noon had caught sixty three, three-fourths 

 females; all unripe except one; eggs all dead; took some 

 milt and bottled it. 



Jun« 3rd. — Caught fourteen, none ripe. 



June 4th. — Caught forty-seven; none ripe; got eleven ripe 

 females, and six ripe males from gillers, from whicli obtained 

 250,000 eggs, nearly all of which came up finely: used bot- 

 tled milt kept nearly two days, on one lot. 



June 5th. — Took no ripe fish. 



June 6th. — Took no ripe fish; forty thousand young Shad 

 were sent to Choptank safely. 



June 7th. — No morning haul; evening liaul caught thirty- 

 six; three ripe; took 150,000 eggs. 



June 8th. — Morning catch fifty-two, none ripe ; evening 

 catch only eight, eggs from three, milt from two; got seven 

 spawners and four milters from gillers; took 225,000 eggs — 

 these were all manipulated under disadvantages,, but with 

 entire success. They were obtained and managed as follows: 

 First, we obtained from a giller's catch of six, only one ripe 

 milter, no spawners, wiped a pan dry and took the milt, and 

 then went in search of spawn. Found a giller with one ripe 

 fish partially spawned, got fifteen thousand eggs, stripped 

 them into milt and then watered sparingly, all came up; we 

 next got from the seine one spawner and one very jjoor milter, 

 from which we only got two or three drops, as the eggs were 

 already watered it was necessary to make the best we could of 

 this very small quantity of milt, accordingly, it was thoroughly 

 stirred through the mass of eggs. Fearing to trust this, 

 however, we went in search of more; in about fifteen minutes 

 we obtained two more milters, each of which furnished a few 

 drops, adding this we soon had the pleasure of seeing the eggs 

 come up finely. We next took dry, the spawn of five, and 

 proceeded a mile or more up the river in search of milt — ob- 

 tained from the seine two more spawners and one milter, 

 taking a. very small quantity of the milt, not more than fifteen 

 drops dry upon the mass of spawn already in the pan, we 

 then added the eggs from the remaining spawners, after which 

 enough water was added to enable us to diffuse the milt 

 through the eggs, they were stirred with unusual force so that 

 the milt should be as generally distributed as possible, I ex- 

 pected that this violence would kill a great many of the eggs, 

 and I had little hope of securing the impregnation of more 

 than on=e in five. The result, however, was the finest pan ol' 



