242 Thirty-fourth Annual Meeting. 
“Instructions to Spawners,” and placed in this starch water, 
milt and all and not washed until all the eggs were taken, when 
washing was commenced and continued until the water came off 
clean and clear, all the milt and starch having been washed out, 
after which the same care was taken with the eggs as though no 
starch were used, and the result was that the spawners had less 
trouble in the field, there was far less trouble with the eggs in 
the jars at the station than on any previous year, and as the 
number of eggs hatched was one per cent greater than ever 
before, we feel that there were no bad results from the use of the 
starch. 
After the hatching, then comes the distribution of the fry. 
Experience has taught us that the fry of the Pike-perch carry 
the best at from twenty-four to forty-eight hours after hatching. 
and as nearly as possible the fry from this station are liberated 
at that age, and those liberated in Lake Erie, which usually con- 
stitutes nine-tenths or more of the hatch, are distributed by the 
regular foree at the station and is accomplished in the follow- 
ing manner: 
We have a small steamer which is operated in connection 
with the station and lies at the wharf but a few feet from the 
hatchery door. Upon the deck of this steamer are from 100 to 
140 12-gallon wooden kegs conveniently arranged for filling with 
water and placing the fry in them. These kegs are first filled 
about half full of water, the fry is then dipped out of the tanks 
into wooden tubs, carried out to the boat and placed in the kegs 
with a dipper, care being taken to put as nearly the same number 
into each keg as possible, they are then taken out into the lake 
and liberated. This is done by pouring them out of the keg, water 
and all, into the lake while the boat is running at full speed. 
This scatters them effectually, as during the time that it takes 
to liberate a load the boat will have covered several miles, and 
the hatch of a single season is thus distributed over an area of 
from 80 to 100 square miles, so that the loss from being over- 
crowded is reduced to minimum. 
WHY THE GREAT LOSS OF EGGS? 
This is something that I am unable to inform you with any 
degree of certainty, but will give you the results of some of the 
