446 SALMON AND TROUT. 



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. 1 



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 disturbance 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 bad ones have but a small 



1 This, and the small number of impregnated eggs, appear to have been 

 the cause of failure in the last attempt in January 1884. The writer is on the 

 point of packir.g some ova for Australia, and will endeavour to profit by past 

 e.\r > ee. Whether there is any water suitable in Australia, is another matter 

 altotietuer. 



