18 TROUT LORE 



than whom no ichthyological writer is more com- 

 petent to write. He says: "Arrived at the 

 spawning grounds in October or later on, the 

 female shapes with industrious care a little nest 

 in the gravel, fanning it clean with her tail and 

 removing the larger pebbles in her mouth; the 

 male, all the while, moving slowly and gracefully 

 above, below, and around his mate, as if to let 

 her see and admire the gorgeous bridal robe of 

 olive velvet and gold with which nature has 

 adorned him. After displaying for a few mo- 

 ments with natural vanity the beauty of his nup- 

 tial array, approaches her, rubs his body against 

 her side ; and soon after she enters the nest, emits 

 a few eggs, which the male fertilizes by ejecting 

 milt upon them. This process continues until 

 the reproductive act is ended. Scarcely five per 

 cent, of the ova of the female is productive, ow- 

 ing to several causes, the main one being the 

 destruction of the eggs by the hordes of minnows 

 and other spawn eating animals; the trout, both 

 male and female, leaving the ova unprotected 

 immediately after spawning." 



Numbers of trout are taken during the spawn- 

 ing season, for then the opportunities for the 

 poacher are almost unlimited. The fish are in 

 shallow water and almost unprotected and can 



