19 



being perfectly neipiess, so do they swini, or, more proper- 

 ly, float about, for three or four days, with the shell of the 

 ova attached to them, showing a similarity to the umbili- 

 cal cord in animals, after which it falls off, and then the 

 brood instinctively move in a shoal to the scours, for the 

 protection against other fish afforded by the shallow water, 

 as well as on account of its being warmer and of lighter 

 weight to their small frames. It is during the first move- 

 ment from the egg that fish of prey, especially eels, are so 

 destructive to the spawn-casts ; and I have seen a male 

 trout trailing over and around the layer, open-mouthed, 

 hunting away every other fish that should make its appear- 

 ance, solely to gratify his voracious appetite. To a casual 

 observer it would appear as if he protected the fry, but this 

 is not the case, as he does not even permit the spawner to 

 approach; and were protection the object, every trout- 

 stream would be swarming with millions of fry, whereas it 

 is difficult to keep a trout-stream in a tolerably well-stock- 

 ed state. I will however give a remedy which will well 

 repay any gentleman for the little trouble it may give his 

 keeper. Take a box, such as I have described under the 

 head of stew-boxes, and fill the bottom with clean good 

 gravel, not too large ; in the month of November, or month 

 before spawning, place in the box a spawner and milter 

 of good size, then sink it in the deep stream where there is 

 plenty of water, so that it may be well covered during the 



