548 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [82] 



acqiiainted with each other. This is another reason why (especially if 

 but few spawniug-i)arties are ])hiced in a pond) small ponds should be 

 selected fur spawning })onds. As soon as the fish have became ac- 

 quainted with each other, and the water has grown warm, the spawn- 

 ing carp may be seen to seek the shaHow spawning i)hices near the 

 edges of the ponds. Then the spawning process takes place. Horak 

 describes this process as follows : "The female fish, or spawners, ac- 

 companied by the male fish, or milters, move rapidly along the edges 

 of the pond, or near the calm surface of the water. The actual process 

 of spawning generally takes i)lac€ during the early part of the forenoon. 

 J. have taken careful observations of this process, and have invariably 

 noticed that several milters always accompanied one female fish, and 

 deposit their spawn, for not all females si)awn at the same time. 

 Sometimes this accompanying degenerates into a regular chase wiiich 

 lasts until the act of propagation has been consummated. At the be- 

 ginning of the spawning season the lish therefore gather in large shoals 

 and move so close together as a(;tually to touch each other. During 

 warm, calm weather the spawning process is carried- on at so lively a 

 rate, that the water is squirted 50 to 85 centimeters above the surface."* 

 The best time for carp to si)awn is the end of May or the beginning of 

 June. At that season the pond culturist should i)ay freciuent visits to 

 his spawning ponds and watch the si)a\vning and everything which 

 may be helpful or hurtful to this ])rocess. This becomes all the more 

 necessary, as during the spawning j-eason the fish are so little shy that 

 they can easily be caught l)y the hand near the edges of the ponds. If 

 the weather is favorable the spawning season does not last long. Four- 

 teen days to three weeks after having been deposited the eggs are 

 hatched. The small being contained within the shell bursts it, and soon 

 develops into a lively little fish. The deeper the eggs are in the water, 

 aiul the lower its temperature, as M^ell as that of the air, the later will 

 they be hatched. Spawning ponds should always be kept under care- 

 ful sui)ervision, and everything calculated to disturb, the pro])agation 

 of the fish should be promi)tly removed. No cattle should ever be 

 allowed to graze on the baidis of the spawning ponds. Birds of prey 

 and other dangerous animals should either be driven away or caught 

 or killed. Great care should be exercised to prevent any fish of prey 

 from entering the spawning i)onds, and if, iu spite of every care, the\ 

 nevertheless get in, they should be caught as (juickly as possible. 

 Tench should not be sutiered in the spawning ponds, because they will 

 also spawn there; and after their young fry have mingled with those of 

 the carp, it will, if not absolutely impossible, still be exceedingly dif- 

 ficult to separate them. Spawning ponds should always have the same 

 depth of water, and wherever it is possible be freely supplied with fresh 

 water. If sky ponds are employed as spawning ponds, the opportu- 

 nity to do this will of course olfer itself but rarely. The spawning 



* Horak, Teichwirthschaft, 1869, 



