ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 105 
are safe from their enemies and the cannibalistic tendencies of 
their parents. 
One of the numerous private ponds visited by the writer, a 
pond half a mile in length, was examined with great care and 
found to be totally lacking in gravel areas. Although it had been 
stocked several times with smali-mouthed black bass, there had 
apparently been no natural increase. With a mud bottom it 
afforded no spawning surface whatever for this species. The 
writer recommended the introduction of numerous artificial 
spawning nests, or the introduction of the large-mouthed bass 
which would not require gravel beds, but could spawn among 
ARTIFICIAL SPAWNING NEST. 
the abundant water plants. It is probably unnecessary to add 
that there should be no fishing allowed during the spawning sea- 
son, which with most of the fishes mentioned is in the spring 
months. 
Number of Fishes Required.—In stocking waters it is not nec- 
essary to have a large number of adult fishes. For a pond of 
about an acre in extent, twenty pairs of black bass will be suffi- 
cient, and perhaps fifty pairs of any of the other kinds of fishes 
mentioned. These numbers will in fact suffice for still larger 
ponds and should be reduced for smaller ponds. When the con- 
ditions are right the progeny of the first year will usually stock 
