183 
During the season just passed, when studying this 
matter, it seemed to me unreasonable to suppose that at 
all of these stations an error had been made as to the 
proper feeding and watering of the parent stock of trout. 
Therefore I have discarded the theory first advanced by 
Mr. Clark, and began to cast about for some other ground. 
During January, 1892, Hon. Marshall McDonald, U. 
S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, at my earnest 
request sent Prof. Chas. Edw. Riley, of Drury College, 
Springfield, Missouri, to the Neosho Station to make a 
microscopic examination of the eggs and milt at the time 
of their extrusion. Prof. Riley made several examina- 
tions of the hard, glassy eggs, and also of the accompany- 
ing abnormal fluid. By the aid of the highest power lenses 
he discovered a tape-worm-like parasite in the hard eggs, 
and also in the accompanying abnormal fluid. No para- 
sites whatever were found in any of the normal eggs, 
either dead or alive. He concludes his report of this 
investigation in these words; ‘“ From a careful considera- 
“tion of these facts I should say that some parasite had 
“infested the trout. It breeds on this peculiar fluid 
“before described, and is absorbed with the fluid before 
“spawning; thus causing the eggs to swell up and sound 
“hard when they strike the pan. JI am strengthened in 
“this belief since apparantly the same thing was found 
“in the ‘peculiar fluid,’ in the eggs and in the water 
“after passing over the eggs, while the water at the supply 
“pipe was practically pure. I can not name the parasite, 
“or account for its presence.” 
Later in the season a series of eggs, normal and 
abnormal, was carefully prepared and forwarded to 
Prof. Riley, at Springfield, for further examination. 
Under date of March 24th, 1892, he wrote; ‘1 have care- 
“fully examined these specimens, and in each case simply 
“corroborated what I found at Neosho.” 
Another series of specimens preserved at the same 
was forwarded to Washington. D. C., but unfortunately, 
