SALMON AND TROUT CULTURE. 455 
annular disk at the top. These should now be removed, as 
they never develope, and occupy room required for others 
which in a short time will. 
I have heard of ova having been ninety days in the water 
without showing the eyes, and without turning white ; of course 
the tyro was wasting his time, hoping against hope, and at last 
had to throw all the eggs away. If ova, after being fifty days 
in water of exceedingly low temperature, do not show, even to 
a novice, unmistakable signs of becoming young fish, ¢hey never 
will, and may be got rid of at once ; they will make a meal for 
some large fish which may be handy to the hatchery. 
The eggs can now be packed in moss, and sent long dis- 
tances. During the last few years eggs have been conveyed 
across the Atlantic, with the very smallest loss. My last con- 
signments of S. Fontinalis from America have arrived in first 
rate condition, not more than five per cent. being spoilt, and 
these evidently had been bruised in packing. 
The plan of packing does not vary much with trout-breeders. 
The eggs are placed in alternate layers between moss, and 
protected with a covering of mcsquito netting, muslin, swan’s 
down calico, or butter-cloth, so arranged that the eggs shall not 
be crushed or escape. These layers are first placed in boxes 
about a foot square, and afterwards in an outer wooden case, 
well surrounded with saw-dust and placed in the ice-house of 
the ship. Previously to the last condition, boxes of ova were 
probably put among the general cargo, and there was risk of 
their becoming heated on the voyage. For many years it was 
a matter of the greatest uncertainty whether the ova of S. 
Fontinalis (American) would reach England in good condition. 
Many hundreds of pounds sterling have been wasted in this 
way, I myself having received several packages of 30,000, 
50,000, and 75,000 in a perfectly putrid state ; but being con- 
vinced that the loss arose from heating on board ship, I took 
some little pains in making arrangements with the shipping 
companies, who readily agreed to do anything in their power 
to facilitate the transport. The ‘Inman’ and ‘Cunard’ com- 
