Antencan Fisheries Suciefi/ 1-1-7 



states that Scth Green sent Jonathan ^lason to his house in 

 ^lay, ISST, and the first atteni])t was made l)ut failed as the 

 fisli liad finished spaAvniny-. In ISSS Mr. ^lason renewed the 

 expei'iment and, witli the lielp of Fraid< Clienev. he eoUected and 

 hatched eggs of the ('hantan(|na niuskalonge artifieialiv foi' the 

 first time. 



Tlie eggs were hatclied in a hox with wire to]) and hoiloni, 

 suspended about four feet from the Ixittom in eigliteen feet of 

 water. Since tliat time eggs liave been developed in boxes placed 

 in a small ])ond formed in the little civek which flows through 

 the hatchei'v grounds. At tlu' present time the eggs are ])laced 

 in glass jars and hatched like whitefish eggs in artesian water 

 with a uniform temperature of about forty-eight degrees. The 

 emln-yos are too heavy to swim (Uit of the jars. and. therefore, 

 they are transferrt'd at the |)ro])er stage of development to trays 

 in boxes jjlaced in the hatchery trimghs. These boxes are fitted 

 with wire at each end. to insui-e a dirt'ct and uninterrupted flow" 

 of watei', which i»revents the banking up of the fry at the lower 

 end of the tray. 



In I'.XHi the egg-taking season on Chantanqua Lake began 

 April IS. and on A])ril 'M) Foreman Browii reported that the 

 fish were about done s])awning below Bemus Point, but were 

 nicely started u]) the lake. A snow storm in late A])ril delayed 

 the spawning. On May T Mr. Brown reported that :.(»()().()()() 

 eggs Were in the hatchery. On May l(i one jar of eggs t-om- 

 menced to hatch. The shell of the egg was very dark — almost 

 black. Premature hatching occurred in some cases, \-ery likely 

 on account of the difl'ei-encc in tcnipei'atui'c lietwecn the lake 

 water and the water of the artesian well, a dittV-rence amounting 

 to seven oi" eiglit degrees. When eggs carried in the lake wati'r 

 wci'e placed in tlie jars at the hatchery during such a ditt'erence 

 of tenipei-ature many of them hatched prematurely. 



He finds the cold water \'ei-y bad for hatching muskalonge 

 eggs. Thev do not devido]) projterly. Some of them have no 

 shell when they hatch. The fry ai'c snudi and weak. They nev- 

 ei- used to liatt'h that way in wai'inei' water: the fry would he 

 Mack and strong, and almost twice as large. It is against natui-c 

 to hatch the eggs in cold water: the water should gradually gi'ow 

 warniei-. Lake water is the best foi' them. 



