100 American Fisheries Society. 



With the idea of devising a practical means for carrying fish 

 in a small volume of water the writer conducted the following 

 experiments : 



(a) During the month of November, 1921, 300 3J/^-inch black bass were 

 delivered to the Bureau in four 10-gallon cans by one of its distribution 

 cars. These fish were held in an aquarium several days, and on November 

 21, 1921, 75 of them were placed in a lard can containing 8 inches of water 

 and held from 10:30 a. m. until 3:00 p. m., without aeration. The air and 

 water temperatures at the beginning of the experiment were 56° and 50", 

 respectively; at the end of the experiment 58° and 50°, respectively. At the 

 same time 75 fish were placed in a standard 10-gallon can in 14 inches of 

 water and held for the same length of time. At the end of the experiment 

 fish in both cans showed signs of needing aeration. No loss whatever 

 occurred in connection with the experiment. 



(b) At 1:15 p. m., the same day, 25 3^-inch bass weri^ placed in a 

 standard 10-gallon can containing IJ^ pints of water, air temperature 58° 

 and water 50°. These fish were held until 4:15 p. m., when the experiment 

 was discontinued with no loss of fish. 



(c) On November 22, 1921, at 9 a. m., 50 fingerling 3 H -inch black 

 bass were placed in a lard can in 1 quart of water; water temperature 

 50° and air 54°, and held until 1:00 p. m. The temperature of the air at 

 the end of the experiment was 63° and water 58°. These fish by being held 

 in shallow water provided their own aeration. Their dorsal fins were 

 slightly out of the water and when they became restless their motion fur- 

 nished the required aeration. Twenty-five fish of the same size were placed 

 in a 10-gallon can in the same amount of water with similar results. At 

 1 :00 p. m., the fish in the two cans, 75 in number, were placed in one can 

 in 1 quart of water. In order to maintain an even temperature a moistened 

 jacket was placed over the can and the 75 fish held therein until 2 :00 p. m., 

 when the experiment was discontinued and the fish delivered to an applicant. 

 The air and water temperatures in the beginning were 63° and 50° re- 

 spectively, and remained practically the same during the hour the 75 fish 

 were in the can. 



It became apparent that fish could be held in a very small 

 volume of water, provided means could be found for controlling 

 the water temperature and removing the pollution. While the 

 swimming efforts of fish can be utilized to provide aeration, it 

 would not be possible to handle them in shipments over rough roads 

 in so small a volume of water. To permit this to be done, an 

 aerating pan was designed which would hold the fish near the sur- 

 face of the water with the object of overcoming difficulties here- 

 tofore experienced and making it possible to ship live fish for quite 

 a distance, with substantially no attention, suitable water tempera- 

 lure and aeration being automatically provided. 



