I 



obtain -it. 137 



varied as it was by: an occasionar day's shooting, or a hurried run r 

 to some part of the country j "-to inspect a lake or give instructions 

 for the construction cf a fish : pond. 



One of my friends, who 1 occasionally came over frOm a smoky 

 Yorkshire town, was wont to describe -the life as a " continual ; 

 pic-nic." Anyhow, the days went pleasantly by ; there was plenty 

 to do, and doing it was simply an enjoyment, and when the sun 

 shone and all went well, I could occasionally leave the place for a 

 week's cruise in my little yacht Wildwing, exploring the mysteries 

 of the deep, and collecting marine specimens, &c. Do not let 

 the tyro fun away with the idea that there were no drawbacks, 

 however. As life in general is said to have its "ups and downs,'* 

 so had this life, which, though appearing to outside observers all 

 sunshine, often carried with it a great deal of roughness and 

 hardship. These were times when my friends of the sunshine 1 ' 

 were absent. 



I have spent, during a severe frost, night after night amongst 

 the ice, preventing the water supply being cut off.- Every few 

 minutes it would freeze up if not attended to, the floor meanwhile 

 consisting of one frozen mass, while icicles hung from boxes, 

 filters, and distributing tanks, reflecting back the light and making 

 quite a pretty sight. Often when the sun got up and the frost, 

 slackened, and I could turn into my berth to get a little rest,- 1 ; 

 would take a last look, over some of the hatching boxes to see 7 

 that all was right, and at the -sight of the- crowd of moving little^ 

 beings within, exclaim, "Yes! it's worth it all"; and after my 

 sleep would rise refreshed, and just as ready -for another battle' 

 with the Ice King as ever. One great advantage I had in these 

 battles and they really were such was that I always came ofF 

 victorious. 



All this is altered now. The water, instead of coming into* 

 the hatchery through a -long run of wOoden spouting, several -feet- r 

 above ground, is conveyed for a good way in pipes beneath the 

 surface, and other precautions are taken whereby 'freezing is 

 prevented, and prevention is much better than cure. 



Possibly^ some of my fish-cultural friends -will laugh-at' the; 

 idea of allowing the water to freeze at all$' but I ; know that more: 

 than one of them has beeh ; troubled in the -same way, and" have- 



