SALMON AND TROUT CULTURE. 447 



annular disk at the top. These should now be removed, as 

 they never develope, and occupy room required for others 

 which in a short time will. 



I have heard of ova having been ninety days in the water 

 without showing the eyes, and without turning white ; of course 

 the tyro was wasting his time, hoping against hope, and at last 

 had to throw all the eggs away. If ova, after being fifty days 

 in water of exceedingly low temperature, do not show, even to 

 a novice, unmistakable signs of becoming young fish, they never 

 will, and may be got rid of at once ; they will make a meal for 

 some large fish which may be handy to the hatchery. 



The eggs can now be packed in moss, and sent long dis- 

 tances. During the last few years eggs have been conveyed 

 across the Atlantic, with the very smallest loss. My last con- 

 signments of S. Fontinalis from America have arrived in first 



o 



rate condition, not more than five per cent, being spoilt, and 

 these evidently had been bruised in packing. 



The plan of packing does not vary much with trout-breeders. 

 The eggs are placed in alternate layers between moss, and 

 protected with a covering of mcsquito netting, muslin, swan's 

 down calico, or butter-cloth, so arranged that the eggs shall not 

 be crushed or escape. These layers are first placed in boxes 

 about a foot square, and afterwards in an outer wooden case, 

 well surrounded with saw-dust, and placed in the ice-house of 

 the ship. Previously to the last condition, boxes of ova were 

 probably put among the general cargo, and there was risk of 

 their becoming heated on the voyage. For many years it was 

 a matter of the greatest uncertainty whether the ova of S. 

 Fontinalis (American) would reach England in good condition. 

 Many hundreds of pounds sterling have been wasted in this 

 way, I myself having received several packages of 30,000, 

 50,000, and 75,000 in a perfectly putrid state ; but being con- 

 vinced that the loss arose from heating on board ship, I took 

 some little pains in making arrangements with the shipping 

 companies, who readily agreed to do anything in their power 

 to facilitate the transport. The ' Inman ' and ' Cunard ' com- 



