588 MR. F. DAY ON RACES AND [Dec. 2, 



correct. The fish-culturist knows that larger eggs produce better 

 fish, and larger eggs are generally, not invariably, the produce of 

 older parents up to the acme of their prolificness. 



I observed (P. Z. S. 1884, p. 28) how young hatched from larger 

 eggs or those of older parents gave more quickly growing offspring ; 

 and this year a second experiment was made in the same two ponds. 

 On August 27, 1884, I found the young fish of about the same size 

 in both localities, which had been stocked this year with young 

 Lochleven Trout bred from parents of the same age spawned the 

 same day, and hatched in same room. On November 12, the two lots 

 were still of about the same-sized fish. Near the ponds I observed a 

 Kingfisher {Alcedo ispida) flying off with a young Trout ; I mention 

 this as the bird is rare in these parts. 



The following are some of the measurements of fish-eggs made 

 during November 1884, at Howietoun : — 



Salmo salar, grilse l^lb. weight ; diameter of each egg - 21 of an inch. 



„ fario var. levcnensis, 8 years old ; diameter of each egg - 20 „ 



») » >j * a >) v *■& jj 



)) I! >: I) J) U'JJ „ 



>> .. >! 6 ,, „ 018 ,, 



)» j) n *-* )> ij u 1 / ,, 



„ fontinalis 4 „ „ 0-18 ,, 



11 11 & jj }> O 1 i „ 



Hybrid Char 2 „ „ 0-13 



It may not be amiss to here remark that not only is there a 

 general increase in the size of the eggs of Salmonidse with age, but 

 also that there is a variation as to the size of the individual eggs in 

 fishes. It is not infrequent to observe the first few eggs produced 

 are what are known as " wind-eggs," being the empty shells of 

 some from the preceding year ; occasionally these are white and 

 hard. Also there are sometimes very large wind-eggs which are 

 passed as the last of the year's ova, such being apparently distended, 

 and probably diseased forms, occasionally of very large size, and 

 sometimes several having a membranous connection one with another 

 and with the ovisac. 



Eighty eggs of a Lochleven Trout were spawned direct into a glass 

 tube on November 14, where they were kept in water for a week, at 

 the end of which time 75 were 0"2o of an inch each in diameter, three 

 were 0'20 of an inch, 1 was 0'75 of an inch, and one was 0"15 of 

 an inch. 



August 14, 1 received a brace of Brook-Trout {Salmo fario) from 

 Mr. Arthur, of Otago, which were sent by S.S. ' Tongariro ' in the 

 refrigerating chamber, and which duly arrived in excellent condition. 



Their dimensions were as follows : — 



Male 21 lb. weight. Female 15 lb. weight, 

 inches. inches. 



Total length 32-0 30-5 



Length of head 8-0 6-0 



Length of caudal fin 4*0 3*5 



Height of body 8*5 8-0 



