152 FISH FARMING I 



refer to those enemies that live actually amidst the natural 

 food of the fish; therefore, I need only caution you here 

 against the depredations of otters, herons, rats, mice, moles, 

 snakes, kingfishers, rabbits, cats and men ! With the ex- 

 ception of the latter, all of these should be destroyed or driven 

 away, or in some way prevented from interfering with your 

 stock of fish as fast a,s they put in an appearance. Once let 

 them get the upper hand, and good-bye to your fish-culture 

 operations ! Trap-ping is the best method of getting rid of 

 these pests, and it is much to be preferred to shooting them, 

 a.s, after a time, they get too artful to permit of a successful 

 raid with a shot-gun, and yet continue to find opportunity 

 for their work of destruction. You cannot do better than 

 apply to Hy. Lane, of Eagle Works, Wednesfield, Staffs, for 

 traps of all sorts, and also ask him to send you one of his 

 pamphlets on " Traps and Trapping." 



Some people prefer netting the pests or, rather, those 

 that can be netted. A capital net for kingfishers is a 

 very fine " drop net," made from silk. It is hung from 

 bough to bough across the water. The birds flying down the 

 brook or river touch the net, which meshes them and drops 

 with them. Netting kingfishers ha,s the advantage of not 

 always destroying them. When uninjured they may be re- 

 leased, and, after meshing themselves in a drop net for a 

 few times, will keep clear of the fishery. I need hardly re- 

 mind my readers that in some parts it is illegal to kill king- 

 fishers at certain times of the year, but I strongly advise some 

 precaution being taken, at all times, against their depreda- 

 tions, for they are most destructive to trout fry, and will 

 sit and fish from a point of vantage all the day through, off 

 and on mostly on ! Rats may be netted by means of 

 " bolt " nets, and where rabbits abound they can quickly be 

 thinned out by means of long nets pegged out across their 

 runs, while the rabbits are out feeding ; then " flush " them 

 with a good dog. Good people to apply to for all sorts of 

 nets, including draw nets for getting the fish from rearing 

 ponds, etc., are Henry A. Chorlton, of 308 Derby-street, 



