Practical paters— Fisn Culture. 
395 
Second. The milt appeared to be composed of microscopic ani¬ 
mal forms, inclosed or swimming in a whitish fluid. If this fluid 
was retained in the forrft in which it issued from the fish, the ap¬ 
pearance of life was continued for a considerable period ; but if 
the milt was diluted with water all signs of life were destroyed 
in a very brief time. If, then, both the eggs and the milt could 
be kept from contact with the water until they were mixed togeth¬ 
er, he thought the chances of impregnation would be very much 
increased. Accordingly, having taken his eggs first on a dry 
plate, he mixed with them the milt, and found that nearly 
all his eggs were impregnated. All this process, or one very 
nearly resembling it, has been used with great success by the fish 
breeders of this country. 
Now, a few words about this discovery. In the first place 
there can be in practice no such thing as dry impregnation ; be¬ 
cause more or less water will always fall from the fish into the 
pan or plate, and it is hardly practicable to wipe each fish dry 
with a towel before squeezing. Second, a quantity of eggs which 
will cover the bottom of a pan, will absord no more water from a 
pan full of water than from a pan only one-half, or one-quarter, 
or one-twentieth full. Third, the milt will die just as soon in a 
little water as in much, and, therefore, be no more effective. 
Fourth, the advantage which is gained is simply this: That by 
using 'little water the animal forms are less widely distributed, and ; 
therefore, the chance of contact with the eggs is increased. Fifth, 
if the impregnation could be made “ dry ”— that is, without water 
— it is only reasonable to suppose that the egg in the absence of 
water must imbibe air, and whether this would be conducive to 
the future well being of the fish remains to be seen. It is now 
generally supposed that the egg absorbs water and not air or 
oxygen from the water. Sixth, the tendency from the commence¬ 
ment has been in our establishment to use less and less water 
every year for the purpose of impregnation. Starting in the first 
years of experiment with a pan full, the quantity has been grad¬ 
ually decreased, until now barely sufficient is used to cover the 
eggs. The difference in impregnation in skillful hands between 
one-quarer inch and one and one-half inches of water may amount 
to 5 per cent. In unskillful hands it will amount to very much 
