402 FISHING IN AMERICAN WATERS. 



dated ova far enough advanced to render their eyes distin- 

 guishable, and they are hatching daily, thus proving its per- 

 fect adaptability to the objects intended of hatching and pro- 

 tecting the eggs. It differs from that of Mr. Ainsworth in 

 having but one race, with perforated bottom of zinc, with 

 three holes to the inch. The bottom is covered with pebbles, 

 and accessible to the trout from his pond during the spawn- 

 ing season, when may be frequently seen a dozen pairs of 

 spawners at a time. The water flows gently down the race, 

 and the spawners keep it constantly agitated throughout the 

 spawning season, so that the fecundated ova falls through the 

 perforated zinc bottom to the bottom of the stream, which is 

 made of sand and gravel, on which the eggs hatch. 



It will be perceived that this race differs from the Ains- 

 worth one, which has two perforated races or troughs above 

 the bottom, from the lower one of which the fecundated eggs 

 are removed to hatching-boxes, while the Furman race con- 

 sists of but one perforated race or trough, from which the 

 eggs fall to the bottom, and remain during the period of in- 

 cubation, or until hatched. 



I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate the form of 

 the Furman race, as it is similar to the Ainsworth one, only 

 it has but one screen, and the bottom is not formed of mova- 

 ble trays, but the eggs drop to the bottom of the stream, 

 where they hatch as in a natural stream, only that they are 

 protected from destruction by their parents or other families 

 of the finny race, which have no access to the compartment 

 of the stream. 



These imitations of the natural stream and spawning-beds 

 are the latest invention in American fish-culture. Thus far 

 they have proved successful, and promise to render unneces- 

 sary the artificial fecundation by handling the spawner and 

 milter for forcing exudation of the seed. These plans sim- 

 plify artificial fish-breeding, and promise to prove a greater 

 improvement on the French grilles and hatching-trays than 

 were the latter upon the troughs with wire-cloth ends placed 



