i88 How to obtain it. 



black, and, with the rapid steam communication which we have 

 nowadays, they may be safely started on very long journeys at 

 this stage. They are about half incubated, and, when packed in 

 moss and iced, they will not hatch so soon as they would have 

 done in the trays in the hatchery. The low temperature at which 

 they are kept during ocean voyages slightly retards the develop- 

 ment of the embryos. When packing eggs for export a few are 

 invariably retained, packed in moss exactly like those exported, and 

 kept at a low temperature, and these usually remain unhatched 

 for fourteen days or so after the date of arrival of the consignment 

 sent abroad. On being unpacked and placed in a hatching box 

 they generally hatch very soon. 



I have received accounts of ova successfully sent to the 

 Colonies, which have, on unpacking and being placed in the 

 hatching boxes,, hatched in a few hours. On one occasion a lot 

 which were sent to Natal hatched off in a few minutes, the 

 temperature of the water being over 60 F. This was a very 

 natural result after being taken from their well-iced packing case. 

 The temperature of the water was first lowered by means of ice, 

 and then allowed to rise gradually. Ova can now be sent very 

 successfully to any part of the world. It is not to be supposed 

 that no loss takes place on these consignments. Sometimes they 

 travel beautifully, and, with the well-studied system of packing 

 that is now adopted, there is every chance of this, provided they 

 are properly attended to during the voyage out. 



For long voyages the eggs are packed in a very similar 

 manner to the one adopted for home packing, though a few extra 

 precautions are necessary. An air space is left at the bottom of 

 the packing case, and the perforated zinc bottoms of the trays are 

 all double, a quarter of an inch being allowed between the double 

 bottoms for ventilation. The zinc used is never new, but always 

 well seasoned material that has been used for screens between the 

 fry ponds the year before. This does not dissolve and produce 

 any salt of zinc, which is fatal to ova, and should be carefully 

 guarded against. An empty tray is fitted into the box at the top, 

 which is filled with ice, and kept full during the voyage, and 

 should any hitch occur here, especially going through the tropics, 

 all the consignment will be lost. 



