80 THE SMALL-MOUTHED BASS 



Dr. Reighard, referred to previously, and I quote from 

 that report the following facts which seem to be most in- 

 teresting to the average angler and fisherman: 



ARTIFICIAL FERTILIZATION OF BLACK BASS EGGS. 



In nearly all fish propagated by fish culturists it is the 

 custom to press or "strip" the eggs from the female, to fer- 

 tilize them with milt stripped from the male, and to hatch 

 them in a suitable hatching apparatus. The procedure is 

 known as "artificial propagation," of which "artificial fer- 

 tilization" is a necessary part. This method of dealing 

 with the bass naturally early suggested itself to fish cul- 

 turists. 



Tisdale (1869) was the first to attempt the artificial 

 fertilization of black bass eggs. He says: "The act of emit- 

 ting their spawn I have never seen; and repeated efforts to 

 express it from these fish in May, when supposed to be ripe, 

 for the purpose of artificial impregnation, proved abortive. 

 The ova of this fish are small, about one-fourth the size of 

 salmon or trout spawn, very compactly laid in a film cov- 

 ered sac and apparently difficult to escape through any 

 artificial process. Further experiments beyond doubt will 

 effect this." 



For many years fish culturists do not seem to have re- 

 peated Tisdale's attempt at artificial fertilization. It was 

 generally held that the parent bass gave such good care 

 to its eggs and offspring that nothing more than the intro- 

 duction of adult bass was necessary to stock any water. 

 Thus Seth Green (1877), Henshall (1880), Goode (1884), and 

 Holt (1886), held to the view that artificial cultivation of 

 the black bass in any form was either impossible or un- 

 necessary. 



Some ten years ago, owing to the increased interest 

 taken by anglers in the black bass, and owing to the depletion 

 of some bass waters, urgent requests for the artificial cul- 



