MANUAL OF FISH-CULTURE. 177 



top. The windowed bucket is put iu a trough under a small jet of water, 

 conducted by a rubber tube to the bottom of the bucket. The jet 

 discharging at the bottom of the bucket, and the surplus water escaping 

 through the perforated window, assist in the process of tempering. 

 The temperature being equalized, the iish are carefully ladled into 

 trouglis or pools and the various sizes sorted and separated into different 

 troughs. 



A part of the fry do not find their way through the wire screens into 

 the cut-off, and all around the margin of the pond, even iu the deep 

 water, straggling fry may be seen. Sometimes these scattered youngsters 

 will be small, but generally they are the largest. After all the fry have 

 been captured from the cut-off and the season's spawning is over, the 

 pond is drawn to collect and save those that have failed to come into 

 the cut-oft". This work is generally iu June or July, when the ponds 

 are quite warm and the temperature of the atmosphere is high, and is 

 carried out with extreme watchfulness and care, as the midsummer 

 drawing of a bass pond is the most delicate operation connected with 

 their propagation in ponds. These fry need to be "tempered" and 

 sorted in the same way as advised for other fry. 



During the various stages of its life the bass is subject to the attack 

 of enemies of many kinds. The fish-eating birds, like the kingfisher; 

 wading birds, like the heron, and amphibious animals, like the mink 

 and muskrat, must be guarded against. Snakes, frogs, turtles, and 

 various beetles are dangerous to the fry, and sometimes even to adult 

 fish. 



SHIPPING FRY. 



Collecting for shipment occurs in the cool days of autumn, as experi- 

 ence has shown. that the bass can be much better and more safely 

 transported in the spring and fall than in the summer. They can be 

 transported more cheaply in midwinter than any other time, but when 

 fish are moved long distances in very cold weather (or at any other time 

 when much ice is used in the cans) many die from gill troubles. After 

 the ponds are freed from vegetation and are ready for drawing off', 

 the water level is reduced slowly. Every precaution is taken not to 

 frighten the fish, and with this in view no more attendants are allowed 

 about the bank than are absolutely necessary. Black bass when 

 frightened will burrow in the mud and live there an incredible length 

 of time, and if a fingerling burrow in the mud when the pond is being- 

 drawn he may prove a dangerous occupant the following spring when 

 the young fry are introduced. The same precautious should be observed 

 in transferring fingerlings as with the very young fry. 



F. C. R. 1897 12 



