FOR PLEASURE AND PROFIT. 117 



today and others tomorrow, and so on. Sometimes 1 , there- 

 fore, a fish is handled that ha bsen, in part, spawned before, 

 and only a few eggs remain to be released. These are ob- 

 tained by very gently passing the right hand down the belly, 

 putting on very slight pressure when well past the vitals and 

 near the vent. Ova should never be forced from a fish in bulk, 

 but as many eggs a& gentle treatment will permit of having 

 been obtained, the fish should be released and the operation of 

 stripping completed later on, when the remainder of the eggs 

 are ripe. It is a general rule, however, that the operation of 

 completely " stripping " a fish can be carried out at one and 

 the same time. 



When the spawning-dish contains about ten thousand eggs, 

 a male fish is taken in hand, after a similar manner to the in- 

 structions in connection with " stripping " the female ; th:n 

 a slight pressure just aboive and behind the pectoral fins has 

 the desired effect of causing the fish to emit a sufficient quan- 

 tity of milt. It may happen through sulkiness on the part 

 of the fish, or mis-handling on the part of the operator that 

 the fish refuses to release its milt, and if this be the case it (the 

 fish) must be returned to the water, and one more tractable 

 taken in hand. Sir James Maitland was of the decided opinion 

 that if the abdomen of the male was held in contact with the 

 eggs a larger flow of milt was ensured. It is important to note 

 that the process of impregnation shall occur in the least pos- 

 sible space of time. As soon as the ova are impregnated, they 

 are thoroughly but most carefully stirred by the hand, in 

 order to ensure the milt reaching the largest possible number 

 of eggs. Then a small quantity of water is poured into the 

 dish, and thereafter the eggs must remain uninterfcred with 

 untilthey separate. Be sure that the eggs have plenty of time 

 in which to separate ; half an hour is not too long, or, in ex- 

 treme cases, even an hour; but the fooner period cf time 

 should be sufficient if the eggs have been thoroughly impreg- 

 nated. When quite separated they are thoroughly washed in 

 clear water, and when this has been carefully done they are 

 taken to the hatchery, where they are placed in the hatching 



