98 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Aug. 4, 1893. 



IMPREGNATING EGGS OFTHE RAINBOW TROUT 



LA paper read befoie the America,n Fisheries Society.] 



The object, of this paper is to bring to the notice of this 

 Society and through it to the notice of flshtmlturista in sen- 

 eral a subject which has not receiA^ed that degree of atten- 

 tion its importance would warrant; the wish is to arouse 

 interest sufficient to lead to a correct, and if possible a 

 practical, solution of the difficulty of impregnating the eggs 

 of the rainbow trout. 



On page 819 of the Report of the U. S. Coin mission of Fish 

 and Fisheries for 1882, under the report of Mr. Frank N. 

 Clark, is the earliest record of a peculiar incident occurring 

 in the work of impregnating the eggs of the rainbow trout. 

 This peculiarity cannot be better described than by quoting 

 Mr, Clark's report: 



''Our facilities being first-class and having been uniformly 

 successful in the propagation of trout, cot excepting the 

 preliminary experiments with rainbow trout for four sea- 

 sons, I had confidently expected to embryonize from one to 

 two hundred thousand eggs from the stock of irideuis 

 hatched and grown at this station: but we succeeded in get- 

 ting only 45,000 eggs (many of the females failing to mature 

 their spawn) and in fertili/Jne but 15 per cent, of these, re- 

 sulting in a hatch of 6,400 fish. The parent fish of both 

 sexes were and still are perfectly normal, so far as conduct 

 and appearances woulrl indicate. The trouble, however, 

 seems to have been entirely with the females, as the quan- 

 tity and quality of the male principle was all that could be 

 desired. Whatever the cause of the difficulty, the effect 

 wa:-« at once apparent in the abnormal character of the fluid 

 surrounding the eggs. From most of the females the eggs 

 would fall into the receiving pan like shot, accompanied by 

 one-half to one fluid ounce of watery substance, sufllcient of 

 which had been absorbed to prevent fertilization. If there 

 was any doubt that absorption of water by a large percent- 

 age of the eggs had taken place before leaving the fish, it 

 was dispelled by the fact that they were quite full and hard 

 when taken and refused afterward to take up any more 

 water. Moreover, the eggs from six females were found to 

 be enveloped in the natural viscous fluid, and these were 

 successfully fecundated." 



The record above set forth refers to the spring work of 

 1883 at the Northville Station of the U. S. Fish Commission. 

 Succpeding reports frnm this station, including the season 

 of 1888, give varying degrees of success, ranging from 15 per 

 cent, to (59 per cent., and" averaging but 39 per cent, of im- 

 pregnation during a period of sis years. 



When we consider the large experience and high degree of 

 success attained by Mr. Clark as a fisheuHurist, we cannot 

 help but be struck most forcibly by the seeming failure of 

 this branch of work at Northville. But the report quoted 

 by Mr, Clark -shows us where to search for the cause. It is 

 to be found in those hard, distended eggs which fall into the 

 receiving pan like shot, and are fi-equently accompanied by 

 an abnormal flui If this trouble were eonaned to the 

 Northville Station solely, it might not be considered of 

 snlficient importance to bring to the attention of this Soci- 

 ety; but it is more widespread and destructive in its perni- 

 ciousness than is generally known or supposed. 



There is, in fact, just reason to believe that during the 

 past twelve years there has been a loss of fully ten million 

 rainbow trout eggs to the fishculturists of the United States. 

 Had it been possible to impregnate these ten million eggs 

 they would have had, all things considered, a value of 

 $18,000 to *30,000. 



While the trouble has proven insurmountable in Michi- 

 gan, it has been serious in New York, alarming in Arkansas, 

 and felt in no small measure in Virginia and "Missouri. In 

 Wisconsin the hard, distended eggs are not strangers 

 (though Mr. Nevin is able to hatch 80 per cent.). And fol- 

 lowing it westward it shows its hydra head in Colorado and 

 even in California. 



In his original report of this trouble Mr. Clark says: 

 '■SVithout attempting to account for the failure I am "in- 

 clined to think that the flsh were overfed and that the in- 

 flow into their pond gave them a current quite too slow and 

 feeble, resulting, for the most part, in a great inactivity and 

 in their being in good condition for market at spavfning 

 time. I propose to reduce their food allowance to a mini- 

 mum and place them in a good current of water." 



Future reports do not show that these remedies were tried, 

 though it is fair to presume they were. But in the U. S. 

 Fish Commission report for 1S85, page 126, this statement 

 from Mr. Clanc occurs: "It would seem that the species 

 (iriclem] will not acclimatize to the waters of this station 

 (.Northville, Mich.)." 



These views of Mr. Clark are here given to call to your at- 



be orroneous. 



Messr.s. Annin, at Caledonia, N. Y.; Monroe fo-een, at 

 Mumford, N. Y.; Mather, at Cold Spring Harbor, N. Y.; 

 Dean, at Leadville, Col.; Robinson, at Mammoth Spring' 

 Ark., and Fitzpatrick, at Chabot Lake, Cal.. in common 

 with Mr. Clark, at Nortfiville, Mich., have not averaged 

 above fifty per cent, of impregnation with the rainbow-trout 

 eggs. 



Mr. Seagle, of Wytheville, Va., concedes 30 per cent, of 

 his average take to be "'hard, glassy eggs," and Mr. Nevin 

 of Madison, Wis., acknowledges "we get a number of hard' 

 glassy eggs." At the Neosho Station during the seasori 

 just passed 66 per cent, of our rainbow tr-out eggs failed to 

 fertilize. Summarizing the statements from these different 

 sources, I am forced to the conclusion that of the whole 

 number of rainbow trout eggs arbificiallv spawned from 

 domesticated fish, less than .50 per cent, are impregnated 

 because of the impotency of the eggs to receive the fertiliz- 

 ing principle, at some places, in some seasons, the percentage 

 will run higher, while as has been shown, on other occa- 

 .sions it v\ill fall much lower. This average of 50 per cent is 

 based on the work of ten hatcheries In eight States, em- 

 bracing all the climatological and hydrogranhical condi- 

 tions of the United States, except the Far South, and may 

 be modified by the accession of additional information; but 

 I feel pretty sure that upon fuller investigation the state- 

 ment will be confirmed rather than disproved. 



During the season just passed, when studving this mat- 

 ter, it seemed tome unreasonable to suppose" that at all of 

 these stations an error had been made as to the proper feed- 

 ing and watering of the parent stock of trout. Therefore I 

 discarded the theory first advanced by Mr. Clark and began 

 to cast about for some other ground. 



During .January, 1892, Hon. Marshall McDonald, U. S 

 Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, at my earnest request 

 sent Prof. Chas. Bdw. Riley, of Drury College, Springfield 

 Missouri, to the Neosho Station to make a microscopic ex- 

 amination of the eggs and milt at the time of their extrusion. 

 I-rof. Riley made several examinations of the hard, glassy 

 eggs, and also of the accompanying abnormal fluid. By the 

 aid of the highest power lenses, he discovered a tape-worm- 

 like parasite in the hard eggs and also in the accompanying 

 abnormal fluid—no parasites whatever were found in any of 

 the normal eggs, either dead or alive. He concludes his 

 report of this investigation in these words: "From a careful 

 consideration of these facts, I should say that some parasite 

 had infested the trout. It breeds on this peculiar fluid 

 before described, and is absorbed with the fluid before 



spawning; thus causing the eggs to swell up and sound hard 

 when they strike the pan. I am strengthened in this belief 

 .since apparently the same thing was found in the peculiar 

 fluid, in the eggs, and in the water after passing over the 

 eggs; while the water at the supplvpipe was practically 

 pure. T cannot name the parasite, or account for its 

 presence." 



Later in the season a series of egga, normal and abnormal, 

 was carefully prepared and forwarded to Prof. Riley, at 

 Spnngfleld, for further examination. Under date of March 

 24, he wrote: "I have carefully examined these specimens, 

 and in each case simply corroborated what I found at 

 Neosho." 



Another series of specimens preserved at the same time 

 were forwarded to Washington, D. C .but unfortunately 

 wer= so long delayed before reaching Dr. Gurley, of the U. 

 S. Fish Commission, as to be in most cases in an advanced 

 stage of decomposii^ion, and unserviceable for examina- 

 tion, 



I stated above that the hard, shotlike eggs and accom- 

 panying fluid were the cause of the imperfect impregnation, 

 but if Prof. Riley is correct they are but an effect, and the 

 true cause is yet deeper. A study of these parasites with a 

 view of their possible eradication opens a field which but 

 few If any fishculturists are prepared to tread. If further 

 investigation confirms the impression that these parasites 

 are present and that to their presence is due the loss of one- 

 naif of the possible efficiency of our work with the iridcus, 

 we have a serious and delicate problem, one which probably 

 only the skilled bacteriologist can handle. 



Dr. Gurley has happilv suggested that a simple though 

 heroic cure may be found in the progressive elimination of 

 those females producing abnormal eggs. The only practi- 

 cal solution may yet be found to lie in this direction. In 

 the meantime it would be of value if any of our sp iwn- 

 talkers could positively state that the female rainbow trout 

 which yield normal eggs in one season do not yield the ab- 

 normal hard eggs in subsequent seasons. The converse of 

 this proposition would be of equal value. 



It has been suggested as a possible solution of this diffi- 

 culty that it arises from inflammation of the ovaries, estab- 

 lished by improper and rough handling at the time of arti- 

 flcial spawning. From my own experience I can state that 

 though this suggestion may be true in some isolated cases, 

 it is scarcely applicable to the case in general. 



At the Neosho Station during the season of 1891-92 we 

 spawned 1,000 twenty months old irldens. Manv of the 

 i:emaleswhen handled for the very first time readily gave 

 down these hard, shot-like eggs without the least pressure, 

 .showing conclusively, to my mind at least, that inflamma- 

 tion of the ovaries, if existing, had not been occasioned by 

 improper handling. I might here state that it is poor work- 

 manship to use any pressure on the abdomen of a trout in 

 taking eggs. If the fish be ripe, and she beheld in proper 

 position, she will, by her own exertion, extrude her eggs It 

 is true that a genlle assistance will sometimes be necessary 

 to enable her to pass the eggs from the anterior portion of 

 the ovary to the vent; but the exercise of enough pressure 

 to set up inflammation would be inexcusable. Such an 

 amount of pressure may be and is employed on fish caught 

 and destined for immediate marketing, such as shad, white- 

 fish, etc., and again it is unreasonable to suppose that the 

 exercise of pressure at one spawning sufficient to occasion 

 inflammation of the ovaries would not result in the death of 

 the female before the occurrence of another spawning peri- 

 od, or, if not in her death, at least in such a disordered con- 

 dition as would be indicated bv some outward symptom 



After reading the report of Prof. Riley, as above set forth, 

 as to the presence of para.sites, I thought that they (the par- 

 asites) might have been introduced into the domesticated 

 rainbow trout by the use of beef liver, the almost universal 

 flsh food, somewhat in the way that trichinfee are introduced 

 into the human system by the use of raw pork. Working 

 m a preliminary amateur fashion along this line, I addressed 

 a number of letters to prominent fishculturists. Some used 

 raw liver, others a mixture of raw and cooked liver, and 

 others a mixture of raw liver and mush. But the answer 

 which iqiset my theory came from my old preceptor, Mr. 

 Fred Mather, who had experienced the trouble of hard, 

 glassy eggs from rainbow trout which had never been feed 

 on any beef liver, raw or cooked. Following on the heels of 

 this came a letter from Mr. James Richardson, Superin- 

 tendent of the California State Hatchery at Sisson. His 

 communication contained a statement of a fact which I had 

 never dreamed. He says: "Yes, I have observed to a small 

 extent the hard, glassy eggs from wild trout caught from 

 the streams of the Pacific .slope." This, so far as I am able 

 to ascertain, is the first intimation that the hard eggs are 

 found 1 a these fish in their native h ome. It is true that Mr. 

 Richardson says that under his observation it occurs 

 to a small extent. Mr. Richardson's statement may 

 be taken as a further argument against the theory 

 of inflammation being established by rough hand- 

 ling. But its true significance is this- The origin of 

 this abnormality of the irideus is not attributable to 

 domestication. It exists to-day among these fish in 

 their native State. But it seems that in domesticating 

 them we have aggravated this abnormality. That is to say: 

 we have, in some occult manner, given prominence to envi- 

 ronments that increase the propagation of the parasite 

 discovered by Prof. Riley, and which appears to exist, to a 

 limited extent, in the female trout in her native habitat; 

 while, on the other hand, we are omitting something which' 

 would tend to suppress its reproduction. This being true 

 the remedy for the trouble might be found in a condition of 

 food and life approximating those of nature. Such may 

 not be attainable at all points. No method seems so feasible 

 as that employed by Mr. Gremaz. of France, in his ponds 

 for the self-reproduction of natural flsh food. It would, of 

 course, be necessary in such an undertaking to stock the 

 ponds with proper natural food from streams on the Pacific 

 slope; for, otherwise, that particular element which tends to 

 maintain a healthy condition of the reproductive organs of 

 the iridcus might be omitted. 



In conclusion, I beg to quote the following significant 

 clause from the Report of Wisconsin for 1.SS2: "In producing 

 and raising from helpless infancy some of the fish tribe art 

 may surpass nature; but only by a return to the ways of 

 nature at a period when helpfulness succeeds helplessness 

 can the best development come." Wm. F. Page. 



Chained to Businei^s? 



Can't go fishing.? Make the best of it. Read FoBBST Atsb 

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Hfw Mmnel 



F 1 XTU RES. 



DOG SHOWS. 



Sept. 12 to 16.— Fourth Annual Dog Show of the Toronto In- 

 dustrial Exhibition Association, at Toronto, Canada, O. A. 

 Stone, Sec'.v. 



Sept. 10 to 23.-Third Annual Dog Show of the Kingston Kennel 

 Club, at Kinsrstoti, Canada. H. C. Batee, See'y. 



Sept. 20 to 23.— Western Michigan Kennel CJub, at Grand Rapids 

 Mich. H. Dale Adams, Galesburg, Mich., Superinteident. 



Sept. 27 to 30.— Dog Show at Ottawa, Can. Alfred Geddes, Sec'y. 



Oct. 25 to 28.— Omaha Kennel Club, at Omaha, Neb. E. L. 

 Marston, Sec'y. 



FIELD TRIALS, 



Sept. .5.— Manitoba Field Trials, at Morris, Man. A. Holloway, 

 Winnipeg, Man., Sec'y. 



Oct. 25.— Third Annual Field Trials of the National Beagle Club, 

 at Nanupt, N. Y. Bench show of the club Oct. 34. H. V. Jamie- 

 son, Sec'y. 



iSJov. 7 -Internationa] Field Trials Club, third annual trials, at 

 Chatham, Oct, Amateur Stake, Nov. 7. Open Stakes, Nov. 8. 

 W. B. Wells, Sec'y. 



Nov. 7.— United States Field Trials, at Elizabethtown, Ky. P, 

 T. Madison, Indianapolis. Ind.. Sec'y. 



Nov. 8.— New England Field Trials, at Assonet, Mass. E. 

 Knight Sperry, New Haven, Conti., Sec'y. 



Nov. 14.— Fourth Annual Trials of the Brunswick Fur Club, at 

 Princeton, Mass. .!. H. Ba'rd. Sec'y. 



Nov. 15.— American Field Trials, at Columbus, Ind. W,-J. Beck, 

 Sec'y. 



Nov. 31.— Eastern Field Trial Club Trials, at High Point, N. C. 

 W. A. Coster, Sec'.v. 

 Nov, 28.— Philadelphia Kennel Club Trials, at High Point, N. O. 



F. G. Tiylor, Sec'v. 



Dec. 5.— Central Field Trials, at Lexington, N. O. Col. Ode]], 

 Sec'y. 



Dec. 19.-Irish Setter Field TrialSi at Lexington, N. C. Dr. G. 



G. DaviSj Philadelphia, Pa.. Sec'y. 



POINTS AND FLUSHES. 



Chicago, July 30.— In a letter recently received from an 

 eminent field trial handler and trainer, one who.se large ex- 

 perience and accurate knowledge entitles his views to care- 

 ful con.sideration, I noted some comments on the subject of 

 ranging which impressed me as being particularly in'terf .st- 

 ing and instructive. He said, in regard to field trials: "I 

 consider that ranging is the weak point, one which is not 

 sufficiently studied. At present there seem to be two classes 

 of rangers, one kind which will not go out far enough, and 

 the other kind which bolts or does not hunt to the gun at 

 all." 



I claim that a dog should range very wide, any distance in 

 fact that we want him to. But he should not just skim the 

 ground out. taking the very best looking places and missing 

 lots of ground quite likely enough to hold birds. It is easy 

 enough to accustom high-class dogs to hunt in the latter 

 way: and when they do that, provided that they will point 

 and back, the average judge seems quite satisfied and gives 

 such dogs great credit for bird sense. 



"A trouble in this connection is that the judges always 

 hurry on following the leading dog, when perhaps the other 

 dog is working out some hard ground in good .shape, know- 

 ing that birds are near at hand. Many a time have I been 

 left behind in that way, and my dog found the birds when 

 there was no judge to see him." 



The points in the foregoing are well taken, and are of 

 general interest. At every field trial one or more incidents 

 of this kind occur, and every field trial handler has suft'ered 

 a loss from them many times. In the greater number of 

 instances the error arises from a lack of judgment on the 

 part of the judges, or from not having any system in con- 

 ducting the running. It is, nevertheless, one of the popular 

 delusions on field trial matters that a man who has shot a 

 great deal over pointers and setters must therefore be a 

 good judge for field trials. As a matter of fact a man may 

 have shot during every season of a long lifetime and not 

 know what qualities constituted a good dog, or what con- 

 stituted the first principles of a competition. The field 

 shooter's sole test of a dog's performance is whether it 

 affords a shot or not. Many setters and pointers of inferior 

 capabilities aflford good sport if they work intelligently. 

 For instance, a dog may have a poor nose, yet, by his in- 

 telligence and caution, he may get quite close to the birds 

 and point or flush them, in either case affording a shot 

 What was considered a success by the shooter might be an 

 error in a field trial. An experienced field shooter, with no 

 field trial experience, is a most helpless and incompetent 

 judge. 



Experienced judges even make many errors during ai 

 trial, the most common one being that mentioned in the 

 foregoing quotation. One dog gets far ahead of the other, 

 and all three judges become absorbed in watching and fol- 

 lowing him. thus leaving one dog without a jud^e to watch 

 his work. There is no excuse or justification for this when 

 three judges are acting. The presiding judge should always 

 detail one judge to remain with one dog if separated from 

 the other. It is unjust to do otherwise, aside from its un- 

 skilfulness and bad management. 



Experienced judges should be so expert and vigilant that 

 no circumstance could arise but what would be met by 

 them promptly and effectively. But such is not the case. 

 Many errors occur in all the large trials, due to the slow- 

 ness, awkwardness or indolence of some one of the three 

 judges; for it almost always happens that one judge has 

 one or more of these qualities. 



The most common fault is that of riding too far behind 

 the handlers. Prom fifteen to twenty yards behind them is 

 a good distance for the judges to ride when performing 

 their duties in the open fields. It is a common fault for 

 .some one judge to get into a trance and ride areamily many 

 yards behind the ether judges. He trusts to the others see- 

 ing any work, which he may miss himself. In the thickets 

 he lags behind in much the same manner as in the open, 

 and is an endless nuisance to reporters who are striving 

 conscientiously to get a full report of all the work, for they 

 hesitate to go ahead of him. Nearly every judge feels more 

 or less irritated if a reporter gets ahead of fi.im, however far 

 he may be behind himself. By their disinclination to any 

 active exertion, many judges miss seeing about half the 

 work done in cover, lagging behind just far enough to miss 

 a great deal. One judge out of the three, in most instances, 

 is active and alert, is up with all the work done, and the 

 other judges seem satisfied to have him do so. 



Another source of error is when the judges ride elo-sely in 

 a group in the open, chat pleasantly together and become 

 inattentive to the work. Where the ground is irregular the 

 judges when grouped cannot possiblv see all the -details. 

 They should spread a proper distance apart so that each 

 would secure a different view, and thus have as full 

 knowledge of every detail of work as can possibly be secured. 



Another error witne.ssed at times, one bordering on the 

 ridiculous, is for a judge to ride furiously after a dog which 

 is lost sight of for a few moments. It commonly breaks up 

 the range of both dogs, and is a useless act. The matter 

 could be handled much better in a less demonstrative 

 manner. 



The judge who gets left far behind every time a fence, 

 ditch or gully is crossed, is another annoyance. He will ride 

 gingerly to thft edge of a djtch, his face expressing his mis- 

 givings. He will Jiold his harae in ^ tiie edge, at tlia^aajue. 



