240 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XL. No. 1024 



George Sliiras. While making some collec- 

 tions from the shallow water of Lake Superior, 

 not far from the Vermilion Life Saving Sta- 

 tion near Whitefish Point, eighteen little white- 

 fish were caught, which measured from 4.9 to 

 9 centimeters in length, from the tip of the 

 snout to the tip of the caudal fin. They 

 answer very well to the description of Core- 

 gonus clupeaformis (Mitchill), with certain 

 departures undoubtedly due to their immature 

 condition; but it is possible that some or aU 

 of them may be Lake Erie whitefish (Core- 

 gonus alius Le Sueur) for fry of this species 

 have been planted in Lake Superior, according 

 to information obtained from B. W. Evermann 

 of the Bureau of Fisheries at Washington and 

 H. H. Marks, superintendent of the Sault 

 Ste. Marie Fish Hatchery. It has been im- 

 possible to distinguish the two species from 

 a study of the structure of the small fish, for 

 the adults are thought to differ from each 

 other only in form and color, and no evi- 

 dence can be obtained that the dark, lateral 

 bands that are thought to be characteristic of 

 the fry of clupeaformis, do not disappear 

 shortly after that stage is passed. 



The food of eight of the fish examined was 

 found to be principally entomostracans, of 

 which the following appear to be the chief 

 species, according to the examinations of three 

 typical stomach contents, made by Mr. 

 Chaneey Juday, of Madison, Wisconsin: 

 Bosmina longirostris O. F. Miiller, Diaptomus 

 ashlandi Marsh, and Cyclops viridus Jurine 

 (probably var. parcus, Herrick). Fragments 

 of midge larvse and miscellaneous insects, in- 

 cluding winged forms, and filaments of a green 

 alga (Ulothrix zonata), were the other objects 

 noted among the food. 



The eighteen specimens of young whitefish 

 were taken in several hauls made with minnow 

 seines, drawn over the sandy bottoms where 

 the water was less than three feet deep and 

 through the lai^e schools of hundreds of small 

 fish, that were chiefiy young lake herring 

 {LeucicJithys sp.). These were similar in size 

 to the young whitefish associated with them, 

 which were relatively very few in number, and 

 superficially so like the little herrings that 



they could be picked from a collection only 

 after a very careful examination of it. 



Detailed descriptions of these young white- 

 fish, their food, habitat and associates, will be 

 given in the paper now being prepared on the 

 fish-life of the Whitefish Point Eegion. 



T. L. F[iisrKiNsoN 



State Normal School, 

 Charleston, Illinois 



IS THE POOR HATCHING OF NORMAL EGGS DUE TO 



THE PRESENCE OF MICROORGANISMS 



WITHIN THE EGGS? 



The loss of young chicks due to the non- 

 hatching of eggs is inestimable. Poultrymen 

 have often said that " on an average a fifty 

 per cent, hatch and a fifty per cent, raise was 

 all that was generally obtained." What be- 

 comes of the other fifty per cent.? Wherein 

 lies the cause of this heavy loss? Can it be 

 due to the presence of microorganisms within 

 the egg or rather to some inherent quality of 

 the egg itself ? We are aware of the fact that 

 faulty incubation may be responsible in a 

 large measure, but in this respect even the 

 hen may have her troubles. 



During the spring hatch we have had occa- 

 sion to examine some 350 eggs, taken from 

 both incubator and from under the hen. The 

 eggs were those tested out as "non-fertile" 

 or " dead in the shell." The incubation period 

 ranged from ten days to twenty-two days. 

 The eggs were from a fioek of healthy birds 

 and may be termed " normal " eggs. 



In only one egg of the 350 eggs examined 

 were bacteria found. The organism isolated 

 belonged to the coli-typhi group. 



From this, a preliminary report, we are of 

 the opinion that the poor hatching quality of 

 " normal " eggs is not directly due to the 

 presence of microorganisms within the egg. 



This work may serve to verify to a certain 

 extent the findings of Eettger.^ 



T. D. Beckwith, 

 G. D. Horton 



Department op Bacteriology, 

 Oregon Ageiculttieal College 



1 Bulletin No. 75, Storrs Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station. 



