TROUT-BREEDING IN WINTER 185 



this should be done. I once had a terrible disas- 

 ter when I first began, as a boy, to artificially hatch 

 fish. My coat happened to catch in a corner of 

 the trough, and the whole bag of tricks came 

 splash over me, costing me the death of at least 

 a hundred young fish. As these were worth about 

 two cents each, I can leave my reader to imagine 

 the lesson it taught. 



The tank which is to receive the young fish 

 when their period of absorption-feeding is past, 

 and when they begin to eat with their mouths, 

 when, in fact, they are to be fed and brought up 

 till of sufficient age to be transported to the aqua- 

 rium, pond, or stream, must be of larger dimensions 

 than the hatching-trough. I recommend, there- 

 fore, that it be made of deal, as before, which can 

 be charred or not, and of these dimensions : one 

 foot deep, four feet broad by six feet long. Six 

 clear inches of water is quite sufficient for these 

 young gentlemen ; and an outlet, as recommended 

 for the hatching-trough, which communicates with 

 a drain, is necessary. Before and over both the 

 openings in the trough, and that in this "stew," or 

 tank, it is important to bear in mind that a zinc- 

 wire covering must be fixed at some distance from 



