238 PROPAGATION OF FISH. 



age, that the young of the latter are larger and grow 

 faster than those of the former ; but my observation has 

 not convinced me that this is the case. The spawning 

 season commences about the middle of October, and lasts 

 nearly two months, some fish, like hens, laying and hatch- 

 ing earlier than others ; a great convenience to the 

 breeder, who is not hurried by their coming in all to- 

 gether. Of course, the young appear at different times, 

 the first about the ninth of January and the last in 

 March ; they take about sixty days to hatch, according 

 to the weather and water. "When they first appear, the 

 body of the egg, like a bag, adheres to the abdomen, 

 and its absorption forms their support for thirty days, 

 after which they must be fed with pieces of worm, of 

 raw or cooked fish, and of raw or cooked meat grated or 

 pounded fine or with boiled b^d. They eat, also, small 

 animalcules in the spring-water, flies or insects that float 

 upon its surface, and are especially fond of the micro- 

 scopic animals in stagnant pools, and I should suppose 

 of the minute worms generated in boiled flour allowed 

 to turn sour. But contrary to the generally received 

 opinion, I warn breeders to keep frogs from their trout 

 ponds ; as these live on the young fish. Although the 

 trout may fancy frog's spawn, which is questionable, the 

 latter more than return the compliment by preferring 

 the young fish entire. My attention was particularly 

 attracted to the fact that around the pond where the fry 

 lived, the frogs were abundant, while there were none in 

 the preserve of the big fish. I concluded they were 

 afraid of the latter, till one day I caught and threw a frog 

 to them, and found, much to my surprise, they would 



