115 



sion that we take for sorting them, and then they are 

 returned to their proper ponds. 



Twenty to twenty-five minutes having now elapsed 

 since the pan of eggs was set in the trough, gently 

 tip up the pan. If the eggs are loose and roll separately 

 as you move it, they are ready for subsequent operations ; 

 if not yet loose, let them remain a while longer. 



The semen of the male is full of spermatazoa or ani- 

 malcules. These will live for ten or fifteen minutes in 

 water ; dry, they will live six hours. There is a hole 

 for the reception of these sperms in each egg. The egg 

 always sinks into the water with this hole at the top. 

 It receives one of the animalcules only by this opening, 

 which then closes. There seems to be a special arrange- 

 ment of Providence that the eggs shall agglutinate 

 stick fast to each other and to everything they touch 

 so that they shall not float away until they are impreg- 

 nated and the trout has had time to cover them. In the 

 eggs of other fish, such as bass and perch, the same 

 arrangement is seen ; only they stick fast the moment 

 they touch anything, and stay there until hatched out, 

 while the substance that fastens the eggs of the trout 

 dissolves as soon as the mother has had time to protect 

 them. 



The eggs will now be loose and lying on the bottom 

 of the pan. Pour off the dirty water until only suffi- 

 cient is left to cover the eggs. If this is done very 

 gently, the eggs, although very light, will remain at the 

 bottom, as they are somewhat heavier than water ; then 

 sink the pan into the water, at the same time tipping it 

 as described in the chapter on u Eggs," and take it half full 

 of watre. The influx of water will wash the eggs 

 around somewhat, and dilute the dirty water remaining 



