10 INTRODUCTION. 



the satisfaction of all parties. By what princi- 

 ples they were governed in making their selec- 

 tions I was unable to determine, but presume 

 in this respect they are like men, governed 

 more by fancy than judgment. 



Our trout were from four to six weeks later 

 than their usual time in depositing their eggs, 

 owing, no doubt, to the vicissitudes incident to 

 transportation, change of water, etc. 



On the 20th November they had fairly com- 

 menced operations, one pair of fish occupying 

 each bed : the male manifesting the utmost jeal- 

 ousy, and if any suspicious interloper approached, 

 he was instantaneously attacked and driven off. 

 On the 21st, I captured a pair by means of a 

 landing net, and placed them in a bucket of 

 water, and being provided with an earthen ves- 

 sel, I made my first attempt at artificially 

 spawning and impregnating the eggs. This was 

 accomplished as follows : 



I partially filled the earthen vessel with 

 water, and taking the female in my left hand, 

 and making gentle pressure on her abdomen 

 with my right, the eggs were forced into the 

 earthen vessel containing the water ; the male 

 was treated in precisely the same manner, forc- 

 ing the spermatic fluid into the same vessel : 

 the appearance of the eggs was almost in- 



