400 GILL FEVER HIDES. 



stopping fisli fii-om dying is to decrease their numbers, 

 and at the same time to increase the flow of water ; 

 every morning and eveningthedeadfish must be carefully 

 picked out. If they are not picked out they will become 

 covered with a white fungus, material resembling 

 cotton wool. This terrible fungus sprouts and grows at an 

 extraordinary rapid rate, and is very apt to kill the fish 

 by giving them '' gill fever." Gill fever is simply a growth 

 of fungus upon the gills, which im^Dedes the breathing 

 ^f the fish, and, as you will see, the fish will die w^itli his 

 mouth wide open gasping for breath. This fungus is 

 the Saproler/nia ferax, the terrible vegetable parasite, 

 which has been the cause of the destruction of so many 

 full grown salmonidas in the Tweed, Sol way, and other 

 rivers, i.e., the " Salmon Disease." 



The young fish soon after birth, being intolerant of 

 light, it is advisable to place in the troughs some 

 " hides." These are best made b}'' supporting upon four 

 pieces of wood or stone, a slab of slate the size of an 

 ordinary envelope ; you will find the young fish will 

 delight greatly in these " hides," going under them for 

 concealment. Their instinct telling them that in their 

 ■tender young days they have many enemies, among 

 which ducks are not the least. 



ON FEEDING THE YOUNG FISH. 



When the umbilical bag is about half absorbed, the 

 young fish will require some food. Here there arises a 

 very difficult problem. In former days — and even now 

 sometimes — the trout and salmon breeder is told to feed 

 his fish on grated liver. Grated liver to me is an 

 ab(»mination, it is not, I think, very palatable to the fish ; 

 .the particles that the fish do not catch falls down among 



