OUR INLAND FISHERIES. 31 



spring approaches and the temperature of the water 

 rises, the conferva, if left to itself for a time, appears 

 to root itself to the egg and cannot easily be removed, 

 and the eggs are often destroyed ; consequently, the 

 greatest care and precaution is required to prevent 

 this. At Huningue soft brushes are applied to the 

 eggs every morning when necessary. 



The spawn of greyling is much smaller and more 

 tender than that of salmon and trout, and is of course 

 more liable to injury ; but I think, with ordinary care 

 and attention, there is little to be apprehended in 

 boxes, while by depositing the ova in the bed of a 

 stream the same amount of supervision cannot pos- 

 sibly be exercised, and they must be more open to 

 the attacks both of birds and vermin. In one point 

 greyling have an advantage over trout and salmon, 

 viz. when these latter fish are spawning all the coarse 

 fish which feed on ova are in the height of condition 

 and actively looking about for food ; when the grey? 

 ling are spawning, save trout, there are few if any 

 fish-enemies which are not themselves either engaged 

 in the same operation or about to do so. 



