56 



and tied on with pack thread. If in any of these opera- 

 tions the box of eggs should fall out of your hands to the 

 floor, it would probably kill nearly every egg. 



The tin boxes are to be packed in saw dust in a box or 

 pail, the saw dust being first very slightly dampened. 

 The pail or box should have a handle so that the ex- 

 pressmen may lift it and set it down lightly, and not be 

 tempted by the light weight of a square box to pitch it 

 about and destroy every egg in it. The saw dust should 

 cover the boxes to the depth of an inch, at least ; then, if 

 they are not exposed to a freezing temperature, nor to a 

 hot fire, and receive moderately fair treatment, they will 

 go safely thousands of miles. We have sent them 

 beyond the Rocky Mountains, to California, to England, 

 and to France. We have packed eggs in such a box 

 when they were first taken from the fish, and keeping it 

 at the same temperature as the water in the troughs, 

 have left it until eggs taken at the same time and placed 

 in the troughs, were hatching out ; and then, opening 

 the box, have found that some of the fish had already ap- 

 peared, others were jubt breaking the shells, and all the 

 impregnated eggs were alive, and in good condition. Of 

 course the young fish did not live in the moss, but would 

 die as soon as they appeared. We do not mention this 

 as a new method of hatching eggs, but to show how per- 

 fect the means is of sending them. 



The eggs in the box should be spread as thinly and 

 evenly through the box as possible, taking care that none 

 of them touch the sides, and the moss packed in well 

 (not tightly) to keep them in place. If this is not done 

 the recipient of the eggs will sometimes find them, after 

 a long journey, jolted together into a solid mass, and 

 spoiled. Use clean, bright tin boxes, which are free 



