38 NATUKAL HISTOEY OF THE SALMON. 



would prove addled. We also noticed that the 

 salmon colour of the ova was heightened when 

 the milt came in contact with it. Round tin 

 pans, with as much water in them as covered the 

 ova, were used to carry them to the hatching- 

 boxes. On the 23d November, 1853, the first 

 stocking of the boxes commenced, and by the 

 23d of December 300,000 ova, in very fine con- 

 dition, were deposited in the 300 boxes. The 

 spawned fish were returned to the river, and went 

 away after the operation quite lively. 



DEPOSITION OF OVA. 



The ova were sown into the boxes, which had 

 been previously prepared, and chiefly at the top, 

 by means of the lid of the pan, as the stream 

 which flows through carried them to the lowest 

 part, but it is necessary to assist the current 

 when it is not strong enough, by pouring a few 

 pails-full of water in at the top of the box, or 

 agitating the water with the lid so as to insure 

 the proper and equal spreading of the ova ; also, 

 care should be taken not to sow it too thick, as 

 ova, it has been found, thrive best when they do 

 not touch one another in the spawn bed. The 

 season of 1853-4 turning out very severe, the 



