678 AMERICAN ANGLER'S BOOK. 



from 18 inches at the upper to 3 feet at the lower end. It is plastered on 

 the bottom and sides with water-lime, is water-tight, and is intended as 

 the abode of the small fry for the first year of their aqueous life. Here, all 

 being of the same age and size, or very nearly so, of course they cannot prey 

 upon each other: and here they are fed and maintained and domesticated, 

 grow and thrive, until, at the end of the year, they are fitted to move in a 

 larger sphere, into which they are introduced through a hole in the wall 

 at the lower end of the first pond, by removing the wire gauze that covers 

 it, and which, except when removed for this purpose, is kept there for a 

 reason already stated. Through this hole the water runs throughout the' 

 year in a steady stream of from 2| to 3 inches in diameter, and, falling 

 about 12 inches, enters the second pond. 



The second pond, which is made like the first, is about 20 feet wide and 

 60 feet long, and the water in it varies in depth from about 3 feet at the 

 upper to 6 or 7 feet at the lower end, and is intended as the abiding-place 

 of the fish during their second year; and also as one of the points at which 

 the process of spawning is conducted. From this (the second) pond the 

 water is conducted through a hole in the wall at the lower end, guarded 

 with wire gauze as in the other instances, and, falling about two feet, 

 enters the third pond. 



The third pond is nearly circular in shape, and near 200 feet in diame- 

 ter, and is situated on the side of a hill. On the upper, or hill side, the 

 water runs against the natural bank, and on the lower side is supported 

 by walls of heavy masonry. These walls are about 10 feet thick at the 

 bottom and 4 at the top, forming on the top a stone walk or pavement 

 throughout the circuit of the walls. The walls are made in two parallel 

 sections, separated by a cavity of two inches, which was filled with liquid 

 cement to render them water-tight. They are at the highest point about 

 40 feet high and surrounded by a heavy earth embankment, rising nearly 

 to the top of the walls, the slopes of which are intended to be decorated 

 with shrubbery. The walls, on the inside, are further supported by a 

 gravel embankment, reaching nearly to the surface of the water and 

 sloping to the centre of the pond, where the water is about 35 feet deep. 

 The other spring, before referred to, issues directly into this pond, at the 

 surface of the water. The outlet of this pond is through a shaft built in 

 the wall, where the column of water is about 5 inches in diameter, falling 

 about 35 feet, and aflfording power to propel a stream of water of about 

 1 or 2 inches, for domestic and ornamental purposes, to the top of the hill 



