148 FISH CULTURE 



year ; because the of tener it is used, the better 

 adapted it becomes to its purpose. 



Provided they are disturbed as little as pos- 

 sible, and there is a proper water-supply, the 

 care of good eggs to the period of " eyeing " 

 is called a very simple matter by many people. 

 Nevertheless from the third day after fertilisa- 

 tion to the appearance of the eyes is a period, 

 which, if not critical, is at least one which will 

 require unremitting watchfulness and care. 



Moving eggs about before the eyeing period 

 may or may not be seriously injurious accord- 

 ing to local conditions. In some fish hatcheries 

 it would be considered fatal to the bulk of the 

 eggs at least, to disturb them in any manner 

 whatever, until they showed the eyes. In other 

 establishments it is declared that the eggs may 

 be handled with perfect freedom and safety, if 

 the work be done carefully; and feathered, 

 cleaned or salted. A capable superintendent 

 of one of the Pennsylvania stations declared 

 emphatically and truthfully that he had a less 

 percentage of loss from trays which he removed 

 during this period from one trough to another 

 for the purpose of salting when fungus ap- 



