NATUEAL SPAWNING, 63 



nature than the spawning of Trout. A nest is made in 

 the gravel by the female. It is simply a shallow hole 

 about six or eight inches in diameter and about two or 

 three inches deep. This is made by the female divine: 

 down at intervals against the gravel and as she comes up 

 giving it a slirt to one side with her tail. ]S"early the same 

 motion as may be often observed when the Trout dive 

 down on the bottom and rub their sides against it to free 

 themselves from parasites. This dipping motion is con- 

 tinued for some days until the nest is large enough to suit 

 her. After lying over this some time the female is ready 

 to emit a portion ol her eggs. The male lies by her side 

 while she does this. However busy he may have been 

 in driving off interlopers, he seems to know by instinct 

 when the lemale is ready to emit her eggs and is always by 

 her side. At the same time she emits her eggs he emits 

 his milt over them. They do this with a curious curl up- 

 ward, which every Trout-breeder should see for himself 

 I do not know that I can describe it so as to make it un- 

 derstood ; but as they emit the eggs and milt lying side 

 by side,they start forward and upward. Very often the male 

 and female lockjaws together and their heads slowly rise,ap- 

 parently trembling with excitement and emitting eggs and 

 milt until a nearly vertical position is gained, still lying 

 over the hole, then, the eggs and milt being all emitted, 

 they fall away from one another and the male retires to 

 some secluded spot where he remains live or ten minutes 

 resting. This interval the female employs in covering her 

 eggs. She will slirt in with her tail all the stones of pro- 

 per size to be found near her nest, and if there are not 

 enough to cover it to her liking she goes above, and, pick- 

 ing out a particular stone, works it down backward be- 

 tween the two ventral tins. This labor she continues un- 

 til the eggs are completely covered. After live or ten 

 minutes the male pays her a visit to see how she is getting 



