78 



If this mulch is kept moist for several weeks, egg 

 capsules will be laid here and will hatch in 14 to 21 

 days. The mulch and the soil immediately below can be 

 added to new soil to start more boxes. 



Before sale, the worms should be placed in sphag- 

 num moss to "scour" for 3 or 4 days. At the end of 

 this time the worms will be almost transparent but 

 tough and lively. If it is necessary to leave them a 

 week or longer in the moss, a little fresh milk should 

 be poured over them at intervals of a week. The moss 

 should be rinsed every 10 days. A good way to carry 

 the worms on the lake is to place them in a sugar-sack 

 full of damp moss. The sack should be dampened whenever 

 necessary during the day. 



Crayfish 



The comments of Markus (1939) may be helpful to 

 those who are interested in the propagation of crayfish. 



The crayfish, especially the soft-shelled individual, is 

 very popular among' anglers as a bait. ... Crayfish will propa- 

 gate naturally in a pond and they may be produced in the same 

 pond with minnows. The shallow end of a pond in which crayfish 

 are propagated should have a sandy, inclined slope running in 

 depth from zero at its edge to a depth of 6 inches about 15 

 feet out in the pond. Here the young crayfish may be found 

 during the night and early morning. This shallow water also 

 makes a convenient place to seine for them. This is especially 

 true of that species of crayfish known as Cambarus virilis. 



Crayfish mate in the early fall. The breeders should be 

 placed in a pond during August for production the next year. 

 Spawning usually occurs in the springtime and mating in the fall, 

 although both may occur during the winter. Eggs may often be 

 found in the late fall. The eggs resemble a bvmch of berries 

 and are carried by the female underneath her abdomen, attached 

 to her swimmeret appendages. They are so carried until they 

 hatch. As soon as the eggs hatch, the young cling to the 

 mother's swimmerets and remain with her until they can shift 

 for themselves. The number of eggs carried by a female depends 

 upon her size. Langlois (Bull. 137) finds that the average 

 number of eggs carried by a 44-mm. (1-3/4 inch) female is 80, 

 while a 102-nim. (4 inch) female carries 374. The eggs are of a 

 dark color and about the size of BB shot. 



Crayfish may be taken from natural waters such as swamps, 

 lakes, rivers, creeks, and streams. They feed on aquatic 

 vegetation and decaying vegetable and animal matter. They also 

 attack living animal life if it is not fast enough to keep out 

 of their way. 



