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eggs were fine. Thisclosed the taking of eggs in starch 
solution. Eleven jars were taken in all. Thirty-two 
were taken in the muck solution. 
A slight accident in doubling up sample jars treated | 
in the old way prevent exact records of the percentage 
hatched from eggs taken the same day by the three 
processes, but a comparison of those taken in muck and 
starch, and all the other eggs in the house, showed an 
advantage for the two former of from 7 to 8 per cent.,the 
measurements being taken with the eggs in the jars by 
guage, the muck treated eggs, as a whole, being the best. 
An experiment made after the egg collecting season 
had closed showed that the addition of about ten per 
cent. of muck to the starch entirely prevented the starch 
from settling in a hard mass. 
The muck was prepared by taking black muck from 
the shores of a pond near by, thoroughly mixing to a 
very thin solution with water, letting the vessel set 
about half a minute to settle out the coarser and heavier 
particles, then decanting off the water holding the fine 
particles in solution, which was left to settle, when the 
nearly clear water was poured off, the muck being then 
rubbed through a fine wire screen, when it was ready 
for use. 
The process is very simple, and the muck ready for 
use easily produced in large quantities. 
Whatever credit is due in the success of these exper- 
iments much of it belongs to Professor Reighard, whose 
able papers, published by The Michigan Fish Commis- 
sion and profusely illustrated in their annual reports, 
have been of great service to us in the handling of the 
eggs of the pike perch. Through them, and assisted by 
the microscope, I have been able to instruct our spawn 
takers and impress thoroughly on their minds the great 
importance of using continual care in the taking, im- 
pregnating and handling of all kinds of eggs This 
work is bearing good fruit as will be seen in the _per- 
centage of pike perch eggs hatched this season. 
