FISHERIES OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC 169 



'Dery's.' The ova from these fish was carefully impregnated 

 and deposited in the spawning boxes. These boxes had been 

 carefully prepared with sand and gravel, and the water from 

 the Aqueduct was made to flow over the boxes, from a fall of 

 about one foot; thus giving to the ova, the aeration so es- 

 sential to vitality. From the boxes the water flowed over an 

 artificial pass, and thence to the pond, where shells, rocks and 

 acquatic plants, gave to the young fish a hiding place and 

 shelter. 



"Anxiously day and night did I watch the progress of 

 the first experiment in pisciculture in Canada, and I left no 

 stone unturned to lead to its successful issue. With the aid 

 of a powerful microscope, I was enabled to view the various 

 changes in the ova, and the formation of the embryo, into the 

 developed fish. 



"With what delight did I first observe the formation of 

 the eye, the vertebrae, the fins and the blood vescicles, until 

 at the expiry of sixty-four days, the first of the ova burst in- 

 to life strange looking objects, that bore but little resemb- 

 lance to the 'thing of beauty' that they afterwards became. 



' ' I neeyd scarcely say that this novel experiment attracted 

 all classes of people to the 'Ovarium,' among whom were 

 many skeptics, and not until I brought the half-formed em- 

 bryo under the powerful lens and showed them the pulsations 

 of the fish, did their skepticism abate. They then became 

 as zealous as the most ardent. 



"For the first month but little perceptible change could 

 be observed in the 'nondescript,' if I may so call them and 

 they remained almost dormant, half imbedded in sand and 

 gravel, nor was it until the absorption of the umbilical sac, 

 the nourishment from which, gave life, vigor and change of 

 form, that the fish clearly developed. They could then be 

 seen, darting eagerly, from one place to another, evidently 

 in search of food which I had taken the precaution to pre- 

 pare for them, consisting of hard-boiled (Pulverized) liver, 

 and later on, the small worms from the half rotten tan-pits. 

 The most interesting sight was to see the little 



