454 SALMON AND TROUT. 



The first consignments of ova which arrived in New 

 Zealand were probably those packed by Mr. Youl and Frank 

 Buckland in 1864 and 1873, and were collected from the 

 head waters of the River Wey, at Alton. These fish run up 

 to eight and ten pounds and occasionally even larger, and are 

 perhaps amongst the finest class of trout to be found in the 

 country. With the refrigerator plan now general in steamships, 

 there is no necessity for carrying ice, as it is manufactured 

 on the voyage; but I am not so sanguine of success if the 

 packages are placed in the refrigerating-room, as should the 

 temperature remain too low for any length of time the eggs 

 would perish. If the packages are placed in a cool chamber, 

 and covered with ice sufficient to last the whole voyage, the pro- 

 cess of incubation can be sufficiently retarded to prevent the 

 ova hatching out. The ' snow ' which accumulates in the shafts 

 of the machinery during the voyage might be utilised by 

 arrangement with the person in charge of the refrigerator : 

 there should be an arrangement for carrying off the melted 

 ice or snow, or probably it would become a source of danger 

 by flooding the packages. 



In about forty days from the time the eggs were taken, the 

 embryo is distinctly visible through the outer shell, and the 

 ova can be handled almost with impunity. This is the time 

 to send them any distance not exceeding fifteen or twenty 

 days' journey. It is also the best time for the fish-breeder to 

 ascertain what is his percentage of fertilised eggs, as disturb- 

 ance is no longer injurious. The whole tray full may be 

 removed to a pan, and thoroughly washed, with the effect of 

 setting any unimpregnated eggs turning opaque white in a few 

 minutes, and leaving the good eggs perfectly clean and free 

 from sediment. 



Unimpregnated ova will sometimes remain unchanged in 

 colour for many weeks, but a disturbance such as that just 

 suggested will usually find out the worthless ones ; at all events, 

 the smallest examination will show that in the good ova the eyes 

 are strongly developed, and the bud ones have but a small 



