CAPTURE OF STOCK FISH. 341 



found that of this small percentage of successfully 

 hatched fry, the major part again is devoured by the 

 larger fish of the same or different species. The 

 incalculable utility, therefore, of fertilizing artificially 

 at a rate of from eighty to ninety per cent, which can 

 easily and simply be done, as we shall proceed to 

 show, will be obvious to all. 



Apart from this, Fish-culture forms in itself a really 

 interesting amusement, as instructive as it is pleasing, 

 being free from all cruelty, and affording indeed a 

 perfect fund of interest and enjoyment to the lover of 

 nature and her beauties. Very many proprietors of 

 trouting streams, known to the writer, annually hatch 

 thousands of trout, which are used for re-stocking 

 brooks and streams far and near. The spawning and 

 hatching of trout takes place in winter, when cold 

 weather sets in, sooner or later according to the 

 locality of the stream and the weather. The trout 

 run up into small side streams or tributaries to spawn. 

 The spawning lasts three weeks or so usually. The 

 period greatly depends on the temperature of the 

 water and atmosphere. When stock fish are required 

 the overgrown weeds and other debris should be 

 removed from a rivulet or branch stream they are 

 known to frequent, and the pebbly gravel raked level 

 over upon a tempting shallow. This done, some 

 inviting shelter should be provided for them in the 

 stream to lie under, such as moored boards, sunken 

 hollow tile or drain pipes. When the fish are well up 

 upon the beds, which may be seen, as the cock trout 

 or milter works the gravel about, they may be caught. 



