Part XL] Pond Fish. 39 



THERE SHOULD BE DEEP RESTING AND BEDDING PLACES. 



There should be natural or scooped-out places in every fish 

 pond not less than six feet in depth (8 or 10 feet would 

 be better) ; water on the bottom of a pond remains more even 

 in temperature than that on the surface. The deeper holes 

 in a pond provide cool places for fish to rest in during the hot 

 summer weather. It also furnishes them places of retreat 

 where they can bed with more safety when the weather is 

 cool and when the pond is covered with ice in the dead of win- 

 ter. Unless the fish are surrounded by plenty of water at such 

 times they may die for want of air. For many years we have 

 noticed that many fish that have been bedded either from neces- 

 sity or by accident in shallow water — water that was not more 

 than from one to two feet in depth — have died during the win- 

 ter. They seem to become very numb and nearly frozen, so to 

 speak, and apparently die for the want of air; or, in this 

 weakened condition they seem to be more susceptible to the 

 attacks of the white fungus disease* which, under such con- 

 ditions, sometimes kills off great numbers of fish. 



KIND AND CONDITION OF WATER FOR FISH. 



While spring water is usually considered to be very fine 

 for fish it is perhaps the poorest of all waters when it comes to 

 furnishing the fish with food supplies. It contains practically 

 no fish-food material, and when it first comes from the ground 

 is poorly supplied with air. It can be much improved and 

 supplied with both food and air by carrying it for greater or 

 less distances through open ditches, ravines or creeks, where 

 there is more or less plant and animal life growing. Artesian 

 water and water pumped from wells are as destitute of fish- 

 food as spring water, but the quality of such water for fish 

 purposes may be improved by running it into ponds that are 

 well supplied with water plants and insect life. 



Fish live in the water and breathe the air that is held in 

 small bubbles in mechanical mixture with the water. They 

 do not live on water any more than human beings live on air. 

 We live in the air and breathe it; fish live in the water and 

 breathe by passing the water through the gills (their lungs) 

 and by this operation get or gather the oxygen from the 

 particles of air that the water contains in the shape of minute 

 bubbles. Hence, running water, or water that is agitated into 

 waves by the wind is always better for fish as it contains more 

 minute air-bubbles for them to breathe. 



When fish are placed in a small tank, tub or any vessel they 

 will live but a short time, as the air supply is soon exhausted. 

 The same fish placed in the shade and kept moist with damp 

 leaves or some such material as grass, will frequently live 

 much longer, as they can subsist for a certain length of time 



* This disease (saprolignia ferox) will be discussed in Part III of 

 this Bulletin. 



