DANGER IN SHIPPING CANS. 
(Notes of experiments made at the Cold Spring Harbor 
Hatchery of the New York Forest and Game Commission. ) 
BY M. C. MARSH, U. 8: BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
Fish culturists and hatchery men generally may be interested 
in the following brief summary of experiments made at the Cold 
Spring Harbor station of the New York State Commission, with 
galvanized iron and brook trout. I do not know that fish cultur- 
ists have regarded this material as perfectly harmless but I believe 
it is more injurious than is generally supposed. I began with 
MeDonald hatching jars using only two fry to the jar, and spring 
water at about 61 degrees F., keeping the water cool by standing 
the jars in cold running water. There was no change of water 
within the jar during the experiment. In the first trial 288 
square inches of galvanized iron strips were placed in the jar and 
the fry were killed within fifteen hours. In the second trial 144 
square inches killed them within twelve hours. In the latter case 
the area of galvanized iron exposed to the water was much less 
than would be the case were the jar made of or lined with this 
material. Under the same conditions but without the galvanized 
iron two fry will live for days in one of these jars. 
I next tried galvanized iron transportation cans. In general 
the result is about the same. Fry are killed within within nine to 
twelve hours in such cans when the inside surface is unpainted or 
unprotected in any way, and the water stands. It did not make 
much difference how much water the can contained. In these 
cases only a few fry were used so that the water did not require 
artificial aeration during the experiment. A similar can coated 
with tar inside, but with the other conditions the same would 
hold the fry without loss, for the given time. The cans used, 
save in one case, were new, but had been thoroughly washed with 
water. In the one old can the fry lived somewhat longer, two 
of four fry dying within twelve hours and two within twenty- 
one hours. 
One trial was made with 300 fry in a can with three gallons 
53 
These notes were first embodied in a letter from Mr. Marsh to Mr. Whish and by him pre- 
sented to the meeting. 
