CHAPTER II. 



THE EGG HARVEST. 



THE harvesting of the eggs at Howietoun commences in the last 

 week of October, and continues until the second week of January. 

 Trout even of the same age and in the same pond vary consider- 

 ably in their date of spawning. Fish seem to ripen naturally 360 

 days after their last spawning, but it does not follow from this they 

 become five days earlier each year as they grow older. 



In spite of the very general opinion that, on account of the 

 absence of the sphincter muscle, spawners must shed their ova so 

 soon as ripe, Howietoun experiments have proved conclusively 

 that trout, so long as they abstain from food, retain their ova, and a 

 single hearty meal will, by distending the stomach, cause the expul- 

 sion of the ripe eggs. This fact goes a long way to explain the 

 frequent absence of food in the stomachs of unspawned salmon. 

 I do not suppose that any one now seriously contends kelts to 

 be at all abstemious. 



The general time of spawning for any particular pond can 

 be advanced to the first week in November, or retarded to the 

 third week in December, by conditioning the fish earlier or later 

 in spring. By commencing to feed with clams (pecten) early 

 in February, good condition is reached in April, and early maturity 

 of the ova assured. It is however dangerous to have a large 

 number of fish in condition in April, an epidemic of fungus 

 frequently appearing in a pond of fish in high condition during 

 that month ; and though a generous supply of bay salt in the 

 water is sufficient to ensure the safety of the fish, it is not con- 

 venient to add salt to the water in every pond, as, if the water 

 is to be used afterwards to supply ponds containing younger 

 fish, very unpleasant contingencies arise. I am not prepared to 



