HATCHING FISH. 165 



and weighing two to five pounds' weight. It is sur- 

 prising to find fishes where they are to be found in India. 

 I have seen the natives in the North East of India, botli 

 to my surprise and amazement, dig fish out of the earth. 

 The fish is called " earth fish," " Zeemen ka mutchee," 

 of about five to seven inches in length, flat, and black in 

 color, flesh hard, and in flavor somewhat like an eel. 



I will give here, in hopes some enterprising gentleman 

 may try the experiment, an account of the manner of 

 the Chinese hatching fish, from Mr. Martin's work. 



"^Hatching eggs by artificial heat is well known and 

 extensively practiced in China ; as is, also, the hatching 

 of fish. The sale of spawn for this purpose forms an 

 important branch of trade in China. The fisherman 

 collects with care on the margin and surface of water, all 

 the gelatinous matters that contain spawn of fish, which 

 is then placed in an egg shell, which has been fresh 

 emptied, through a small hole, which is then stopped, and 

 the shell is then placed under a setting fowl. In a few 

 days, the Chinese break the shell in warm water (warmed 

 by the sun) ; the young fish are then kept in water until 

 they are large enough to be placed in a pond. This 

 plan, in some measure, counteracts the great destruction 

 of spawn by troll-nets, which have caused the extinction 

 of many fisheries." 



This art carried out would be most valuable to all 

 countries, and would be a means of making the water 

 equally, if not more, productive for means of support 

 than land ; for, by such art, every piece of water might 

 be filled with fish. 



