CHAPTER IX. 
PACKING AND UNPACKING THE EGGS. 
Ova to the Antipodes—The tropics—Various methods—Modus operandi at the 
Solway Fishery—Selecting and preparing the moss—Its cultivation— Woven fabric 
—Best time to pack—Ova hatch rapidly on unpacking—Long voyages— Unpacking 
— IVashing of the moss—Fully eyed eggs. 
[= is now pretty well known that trout and other ova can-be 
packed and sent with success, not only to any part of the 
British Isles, but to any portion of the world that may be desired. 
It has been so sent, and the waters of the Antipodes have been 
most successfully stocked, as we have seen, by means of ova sent 
out first from this country. Attempts are being made to stock 
some of the hill streams of the tropics. Up on the mountains, 
where the atmosphere is cool and the cold snow water comes 
down the streams, trout should succeed well, and it is by means 
of ova that they must be introduced. 
The use of ova, too, is destined to play a very important part 
in the stocking of our waters at home, and therefore the packing 
of the delicate little morsels becomes a matter of very great 
importance. I find it is rather a common notion that trout eggs 
can be packed up by anyone at a moment’s notice, and with very 
little trouble. A greater mistake could not be. The successful 
packing of ova is an art that has to be learned by careful training 
and experience. I have, in the course of my life, received a great 
many consignments of ova from a great many different people, 
both at home and abroad. When I say that no two senders have 
packed their eggs exactly in the same way, it will be apparent that 
there is a great diversity of idea on the subject. I have seen eggs 
