74 THE NEW ART OF BREEDING FISH. 



This process presents defects which prevent me 

 from recommending its application. Besides the 

 exposure of the eggs to breakage "between the stones, 

 jumbled together by any shock received by 

 the vehicle transporting the box, the holes^with 

 which the sides of the box are pierced, favor the 

 evaporation of the water which keeps the sand wet, 

 and exposes them to become dry. 



Very fine wet sand employed alone is far prefer- 

 able. It should be thus used : Take a circular or 

 oblong box, made of very thin white wood, such, for 

 example, as are used for packing dried fruits (pi. 2, 

 fig. 5). Then, on the bottom of this box, spread a 

 bed of wet sand ; on this sand spread as many eggs 

 as can lie together without touching one another. 

 In fact, leave spaces between them that the second 

 layer of sand will fill, to prevent the possibility of 

 their pressing against one another. Then spread a 

 second bed of wet sand, and on this, in like manner, 

 a second bed of eggs, and so on, till the box is filled 

 entirely, so that the lid will press upon the sand and 

 prevent the movement of the contents of the box. 



A suitable box to carry eggs in this manner, 

 should not be more than four inches deep, by eight 

 or ten inches long, for if the dimensions exceed this, 

 the weight of the sand will be too great for the eggs 

 to bear. Partitioned off into compartments, a larger 

 box would answer, but it is more simple and com- 

 modious, if the quantity of eggs to be sent cannot 

 be packed in one such small box, to use several such. 



