104 NEW.” YORK -ZCOLOGICAL SOClainy: 
fish food. If the pondweeds, together with the brook-minnows, 
frogs, crustaceans and other small fry which are to establish the 
natural supply of food, can be introduced a year before the stock 
fish are put in, the conditions for success will be greatly improved. 
Spawning Places.—Fish-ponds should be supplied with spawn- 
ing conditions suitable to the fishes occupying them: Small- 
mouthed black bass, which make their nests in gravel, will require 
gravelly bottom: Large-mouthed black bass, which nest among 
the roots of plants, will find the conditions they require among 
the weeds of the pond. Yellow perch, which spawn among twigs 
under water, are easily accommodated—pieces of brush may be 
set firmly in the bottom where the water is shallow, in the branches 
of which they will deposit large whitish masses of spawn. Ii the 
brush tops extend several inches above the surface of the water, 
so that they will be swaved by the wind, and kept free of sedi- 
ment, the hatching of masses of spawn will be greatly facilitated. 
Rock bass and the various species of sunfish which, like the 
small-mouthed black bass, make their nests in gravelly places, 
will absolutely require places of that character if they are ex- 
pected to increase and a few cartloads of gravel dumped around 
the lake in water about two feet in depth will furnish the necessary 
conditions. 
Since ponds, to be successful, must have proper spawning condi- 
tions, some study of the habits of pond fishes is important and 
there are numerous helpful books available. It is now the custom 
with professional fish-culturists to supply artificial spawning nests 
in ponds containing small-mouthed black bass. These are small 
shallow boxes about two feet square filled with mixed gravel 
and sand, which early in the spring are placed everywhere in 
shallow water around the pond. They are at once appropriated 
by pairs of basses seeking spawning places. The boxes have 
boards nailed on two sides at adjoining corners, which extend 
about a foot higher, affording shelter for the basses similar to 
that which they naturally seek under the shelter of submerged 
logs. 
Basses guard their nests for several days after the spawn has 
been deposited, and it is the custom at fish cultural establishments 
to place over the nest before the young fishes leave it, a light 
circular frame of ircn covered with cheese cloth, one end of 
which protrudes above the water. This prevents the young fishes 
from wandering away from the nest, and makes it possible for 
them to be removed with the dip net to nursery ponds, where they 
