92 



skates' eggs edible. 



often found these eggs before the young were 

 hatched, and were accustomed to boil and eat 

 them just as hens' eggs are eaten. Whether to 

 believe them or not I could not make up my 

 mind, for fishermen are wond.erfully loose in 

 their details. However, as they gave me the 

 information, I present it to the reader, and leave 

 it to his own discretion to judge, or haply to his 

 own energy to prove or disprove by actual ex- 

 periment. I trust the latter. 



In the summer months the eggs are invariably 

 empty, or only filled with sand, little pebbles, 

 and other shore debris; so that, unless the ex- 

 periment can be tried in the earlier portions of 

 the year, it cannot be made at alL 



