CHAPTER X. 



CARE OF "ALEVINS." 



Word derived from the French Appearance on first hatching Very helpless 

 at first Begin to pack Hides to be avoided Provide lids for the boxes Structure 

 of alevins Cleanliness Guard against rats or mice Water insects How to 

 detect their presence Cripples Deformities Dropsy or blue swelling Constitu- 

 tional weakness Fungus Paralysis White spot Suffocation Still waters. 



1I7ISH culturists have apparently by common consent adopted 



the French word " alevin " as the name for a newly-hatched 



fish, so long as it has the yolk bag or umbilical sac attached to it. 



? The length of time varies much in different fishes, in some being 



(only a few days, in others many weeks. The temperature of the 



water in which they live has a great deal to do with the absorption 



of this sac. It has been found that in comparatively warm water 



a trout will absorb it in a little over three weeks, whereas, when it 



is very cold, sometimes more than three months is occupied in 



the process. 



When the eggs are hatched the little fish or alevins slip 

 through between the glass bars of the grille and go to the bottom 

 of the box, leaving behind them a mass of empty egg-shells. The 

 grilles may then be lifted out, washed, dried, and put away for 

 next season's use. When the shells are all removed, as described 

 in my chapter on " Hatching the Eggs," we may turn our 

 attention to the delicate-looking little beings which the hatching 

 box now contains. At first they lie panting on their sides, and if 

 disturbed they will make a start, apparently in any direction in 

 which their heads are pointing, and entirely regardless of conse- 

 quences. After a few vigorous movements through the water 

 they suddenly stop in their headlong career and quietly settle to 

 the bottom, where they again lie, panting and apparently out of 



