AMATEUR FISH CULTURE 



quite safe to leave the dead eggs over twenty- 

 four hours in the hatching boxes. The pecu- 

 liarity of Byssus is that it stretches out its long, 

 slender arms, which grow rapidly over every- 

 thing within its reach. This makes it peculiarly 

 mischievous, for it will sometimes clasp a dozen 

 or even twenty eggs in its Briarean grasp before 

 it is discovered, and any egg that it has seized 

 has received its death warrant." Mr. Armistead 

 has known it appear within twenty-four hours. 

 Byssus develops only on dead ova. 



Saprolegnia, known to fish culturists as "fun- 

 gus," attacks both living or dead ova. If the 

 woodwork is properly varnished or charred, and 

 the ova managed thoroughly, there should, how- 

 ever, be but little risk of fungus. Light is 

 favourable to the growth of fungus, and, there- 

 fore, wooden lids should be placed over the rear- 

 ing boxes. These should be kept partially on 

 after the young fish have hatched out, and be 

 replaced by covers of fine wire netting spread 

 on closely -fit ting frames, when the fry have 

 begun to feed. These obviate the necessity of 

 covering up the ponds during the first stages. 



Many small creatures such as caddis-worms 

 will eat the ova, and therefore a careful watch 



38 



