86 Modern Fishculture in Fresh and Salt Water. 



its ring, and when the eyes appear the "ringers," as we 

 call them, can be picked out and fed to the yearlings ; 

 and they are very fond of them. If eggs are packed 

 for shipment all ringers should be picked out, as they 

 "die" at the slightest disturbance, and only fertile eggs 

 should be sent. 



CHAPTER V. 



CARE OF FRY. 



The Century Dictionary defines "fry" as "the very 

 young of a fish." In that sense I use it. Technically 

 the young fish is an embryo while in the egg and after 

 bursting the shell until the umbilicus is absorbed. But 

 I have declined to use the French word "alevin" for 

 the hatched embryo, just as I decline to use the Latin 

 "ova" for eggs. English fishculturists advertise "eyed 

 ova." There's a mouthful ! What's the matter with a 

 good English word like eggs? I would as soon think 

 of asking a waiter to bring me "two fried ova" as of 

 calling fish eggs by a Latin name to show my learning. 

 Most of American fishculturists speak of "eggs of fish" 

 and call embryo trout "fry" until the sac is absorbed, 

 when they are "babies" until they are entitled to be 

 termed "yearlings." 



A troutlet which bursts the shell head first or lets any 

 part of its umbilical sac out in advance is a poor, weak 

 critter whose shell has worn thin and it had no power to 

 burst it. Few such live. A strong, healthy embryo 

 trout rips the shell open with its tail and wiggles about 



