1 88 Modern Fishculture in Fresh and Salt Water. 



are freed of the poor eggs in this way better than in 

 any other manner. In drawing off the poor eggs in this 

 way a small number of fertilized eggs are unavoidably 

 taken off with the poor ones, but the mass thus removed 

 is placed in what is known as "hospital jars," where 

 eventually they are separated from the poor ones and 

 saved. With the Chase automatic jar a force of three 

 men will care for 200,000,000 whitefish eggs after the 

 percentage of poor eggs are worked off, until the hatch- 

 ing season comes on, one of the men acting as night 

 watch. The only care required during this period is 

 to see that the circulation of the water is maintained 

 constantly in the jars. The average temperature of 

 the water during the month of November, when the 

 eggs are mainly taken, as shown by carefully kept rec- 

 ords, is about 38 degrees, the minimum being 32, and 

 the maximum about 46. The mean temperature of the 

 air during the same time being about 36, with a mini- 

 mum of 21 and a maximum of about 51. 



During the stripping the spawners are sheltered by a 

 rough board house; but this is only used during the 

 severe weather, and is designed rather for the comfort 

 of the men than for protection to the eggs, which rarely, 

 if ever, become chilled by exposure to the air. The 

 eggs are sometimes, on occasional days when the sun is 

 too warm and bright, carried into this shelter for protec- 

 tion from the light and heat. 



The hatching time arrives, the shell of the egg has 

 become thin and weak, and on some warm spring day, 

 the young fish having completed his development in 

 the egg, feeling the irksomeness of his confined quar- 

 ters and the thrill of a warmer temperature, gives his 

 tail a flirt, and with one supreme struggle he bursts the 

 bands of his environment and comes forth a young and 



