NATAL'S EARLY TROUT 237 



hatching box, 7 ft. long, 10 in. deep, 18 in. wide. 

 Across the lower end of the box was fastened 

 a perforated zinc screen to prevent the troutlets 

 escaping. In this hatching box were no trout 

 fry, hatched from ova supplied from the Cape. 

 The two stock ponds were each 30 ft. in length, 

 and 4 ft. wide ; the depth could be altered from 

 2 ft. 6 in. to 4 ft. The object of the two stock 

 ponds was to rear trout from Natal-bred ova. In 

 one pond were fifty trout about eighteen months 

 old, fed daily on dog biscuit. What ravenous 

 appetites have hatchery trout ! As soon as they 

 were fed, they were after the morsels of biscuit 

 like so many streaks of lightning, and apparently 

 not a particle could have gone undevoured. In 

 addition they got natural food in the water. 

 They looked a fine, vigorous lot of fish. In the 

 second stock pond were only two trout, half 

 a pound each, caught from the Umgeni. Origin- 

 ally there were five trout here, but an otter came, 

 and three obituary notices had to be written. 



Such was the Tetworth hatchery in those early 

 days. Its work has long been accomplished, 

 handsomely, and Mr. John Parker can look back 

 with pride upon a fine achievement. The cost of 

 trout acclimatization to the Natal Government 

 was comparatively small. Good trout fishing was 

 available in the Umgeni and the Bushman's rivers 

 before probably 2,500 had been spent. Such a 

 record ot success may be an incentive to other 

 colonies which have suitable waters but are not 

 yet committed to trout acclimatization. As a 



