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THE AMERICAN NATURALIST [Vol. XLI 



more than a mile in circumference. The barge is then securely 

 anchored and a crew of about a dozen men proceed to wind in the 

 seine by means of the reel, as shown in the photograph, Fig. 3. It 

 requires usually about four hours to haul the seine. Great num- 

 bers of Polyodon are caught in such a manner, more than one 

 hundred and fifty barrels bring the record for a single haul in Lake 

 Washington. 



The roe or caviar is much more valuable than the flesh of the 

 fish, and during my stay on these lakes there was an average of 

 one caviar fish to every twenty-four other individuals. The roe 

 is taken from the fish enclosed in the ovarian membranes and 

 then strained through a screen which serves to separate the eggs. 

 A liberal amount of a calcium-free sodium-chlorid salt is then added, 

 and the eggs are packed in kegs for shipment to the markets. One 

 fisherman may ship as many as seventy-five of these hundred and 

 fifty pound kegs in a single season, from Novembei- to April. 

 At such a rate one is not surprised to learn that I'olyodon has 

 decreased greatly in numbers since the beginning of this new 

 industry. At present many lakes that were forin(>rly crowded 



ing are very exhaustive mid as al)()\(' iiiciitioticd the hikes ai-c only 



for a period of several vcars. Uivcr seining is annost inij)()ssil)h' 

 owing to the strong current.. Thi. in.histrv though in its i.ifan(y 

 is decidedly on the wane; many of the most pr<)s|)erous fishermen 

 have now al)an(h)ned it entirely on account of the great decrease in 

 the number of fi.sh. Such an extensive apparatus is essential 

 for taking the large Tolyodon that the fishing is unprofitable unless 

 they are caught in great numbers. 



As I have stated, my attempt to secun^ material For a study of 

 the embryonic hi.toryoV Polyodon u a. tu.Micee..ful. Theob.erNa- 



such material n,a;. be o'hiaine.l. 1 eNpe<-l (o ^Wu ih.'M- n-ion^ 

 again and t., ariiniuv with M-.nie well e-juipiH-.l h.li<Tnian to seine 

 one of the ninninu uaier l.-,ke. m> that lidi w.n ra^\h be taken 

 during the entire .eason. Thus it is hoix-.l that the .loired 



