HATCHING TROUT 149 



peared, than he had among eggs which he did 

 not disturb. 



On the other hand, at another station, a sn- 

 perintendent equally capable and truthful, as- 

 serted that in his hatchery such treatment 

 would be fatal to every egg. From this it may 

 be gathered that to what extent eggs may be 

 handled, feathered and salted, before they are 

 eyed, depends more or less on the water condi- 

 tions in the hatchery; and in a measure must 

 be left to the judgment of the fish-culturist to 

 determine. On general principles, however, it 

 is wiser to leave the eggs undisturbed except 

 in so far as picking is concerned. 



It is greater wisdom to take the chance of 

 eggs smothering from a muddy deposit than to 

 wash them by removing the trays to troughs or 

 tubs of clean water and moving them gently up 

 and down ; or even cleaning the eggs by means 

 of a feather without removing the trays. This 

 is particularly true where the eggs are cared 

 for in troughs of the Pennsylvania patterns. 

 There is much less danger of smothering in 

 troughs when the circulation of water is up and 

 down through the trays, as it is in the troughs 



