1 86 WINTER ANGLING 



both. The object of both these contrivances is to 

 keep the tiny embryos and fry from passing away 

 from their allotted dwelling-places, which, with a 

 perverseness of all young organisms, they would 

 inevitably do were they left to their own devices. 



Coverings of wood must also be provided for 

 both these receptacles ; for it is found that eggs 

 hatch better in darkness, and the young alevins 

 are intolerant of light. With the fry the precau- 

 tion is not so necessary, except for the purpose of 

 keeping away all nocturnal enemies. An old cat 

 once played me a pretty trick, catching and eating 

 a lot of my two-inch fry ; and a rat once did worse 

 than that, he simply gnawed a hole in the bot- 

 tom of the tank, and when it was empty hopped in 

 and devoured the lot of fish, remaining high and dry. 



I have now described the chief apparatus, which, 

 to recapitulate, consists of a reservoir, a filter, a 

 hatching-trough, and a "stew," or tank, for the fish 

 when they have arrived at the feeding-age. Place 

 them in order, and turn on your water for a day or 

 two to sweeten the whole affair. This done, it be- 

 comes necessary to see about stocking the hatch- 

 ing-trough. First, however, procure some nice 

 sharp gravel ; the stones should not be larger than 



