Natural HistGry of their Generation. 333 



end, as your quantity of water oi- the fali admit. Place 

 the troughs horizontally upon legs of wood, slone, or brick ; 

 on the bottom of this trough put some clear washed peboles 

 about the size of peas two inches thick ; then sprinkle over 

 thcni some few larger of the size of small walnuts: this 

 last is done to form "recesses, to prevent the continual mo-* 

 lion of the water from carrying away the eg«;s. 



Take care that the water which runs in and discharges 

 itself always covers the gravel at least two inches. To 

 breed \oung trout, you must take some out the latter end 

 of December or the beginning of January, when they 

 meet to spawn: if by stroking their bellies with our fingers 

 some spawn comes out, it is a sign they are ripe, and 

 these fish may be put into a tub for use. 



Take a bowl and put a quart of water into it, then take 

 out your fishes one after another, stroke them with your 

 hand or fingers hard downwards, till the spawn discharges 

 into the bowl ; you need not fear it will hurt them, for they 

 can without danger bear grccit pressing: then rub the belly 

 of the male in the same manner, till some of its milt dis- 

 charges into the water ; a little is sufficient ; then stir the 

 whole with your hand so as to mix it well, and all the 

 eggs or spawn wilf be impregnated ; then mix more clear 

 water to thein to disperse them more asunder, which you 

 must be careful to do, for they are apt to clog together after 

 they are impregnated, and will not hat:h if thev are thick 

 together; but on the contrary will tend to putrefaction, 

 and get a kind of woolly appearance, which must be re- 

 medied by stopping the end where the water runs out till 

 it is an inch or two fuller, and then with a hand or paddle 

 shake violently, which will divide them, and prevent the 

 mud which settles on them from destroying them, and this 

 nuiat i)e repeated twice a week ; but if the spawn is not too 

 thick it need not be done so violently. Th^iy will hatch 

 in about five weeks; and in about the same time you n)ay 

 puil out the grate and slider, and let them all out, either 

 in a small bason covered with |)cbbles throuah which the 

 stream passes, or into the waters at large. The same rules 

 hold for the salinn-i ; but the sptlm and spawn may be 

 procured equally efficacious by cutting open the fish, and 

 taking out the spawn and male sperm. 



Small wicker coops must be made with twigs, sufficiently 

 close to prevent the cray-fish from getting out, and put 

 into the troughs with cray-fish in them, when fidl of 

 •(pawn ; and slices of carrots put in for them to feed on. 



XLVI. On 



