HATCHING TEOUT 141 



themselves, and must be removed. One not- 

 able and interesting form of unfertilised egg 

 is the " ringer." Eingers seldom appear until 

 from 15 to 20 days after they have been on the 

 trays, and as they become opaque very slowly 

 they may be found throughout the entire hatch- 

 ing. A ringer does not at first appear as 

 a bad egg, and will deceive any but a practical 

 fish-culturist into thinking that it is fertilised. 

 It is translucent, like a good egg, but when held 

 to the light nearly a perfect circle is discerned 

 within the shell. 



Another failure in fertilisation which some- 

 times deceives an inexperienced person is what 

 may be called a "false" egg. The false egg is 

 rather more translucent than a good egg; but 

 when held to the light, its worthlessness is easily 

 detected, for it is seen to be simply a ball of 

 watery albuminous material. Eingers are 

 found in eggs from mature fish of all ages, but 

 false eggs are seldom taken from fish less than 

 three years old. 



What causes ringers and false eggs is a question 

 that most fish-culturists would like answered. Why 

 one unfertilised egg should become opaque within fif- 



