THE HATCHING OF OVA. 83 



ment of a salmon egg, as the same process applies 

 to the others. 



Salmon ova, when first taken, is of a clear reddish- 

 salmon colour; after the mUt is mixed with it, it 

 assumes a shade of darker red, and a sort of disc, like 

 the yolk of an egg in form is observable, w:hich was 

 not there before. Then globules of oily matter form 

 and collect round this disc, some of larger size than 

 the others. As time gdes on these globules become 

 more various in size and the series is more irregular, 

 and if the egg is good it goes on extending. It often 

 happens, however, that these globules do not alter 

 at all, but the disc and globules remain unchanged 

 as in the early stage. When this is the case, while 

 other eggs are changing in the form and density 

 of the disc and globules, it is extremely probable 

 that the eggs are bad : either they were immature, 

 or not properly fertilized, or some other accident 

 has occurred to render them useless. To the un- 

 initiated, however, these eggs appear to be perfectly 

 good, and thus they will remain totally unchanged, 

 and, if anything, getting more transparent, until the 

 other eggs are hatched out; but hold them up to 

 the light and compare them with a good egg, and 

 three parts of the bad egg will be seen to be filled 

 with a perfectly clear transparent matter with a 

 G 2 



