INJURY TO STREAMS. 69 



CHAPTER VIII. 

 DOES ARTIFICIAL SPAWNING INJURE A STREAM? 



HPO this question we simply return the answer 

 "No." Look how fishes follow each other on 

 the same " redds " or spawning grounds ; how they 

 destroy each others' nests ; how they eat each others' 

 eggs. " Is it peace " always at the spawning season ? 

 Have we not seen trout gashed about fearfully by their 

 fellows? The males fight fiercely, and whilst these 

 lethal conflicts are going on, the female, unable longer 

 to retain her ova, will, likely enough, shed them 

 without the assistance of the male ; they are then, of 

 course, wasted. 



Competent authorities have stated that not more 

 than five per cent, are ever impregnated in a natural 

 state of things. Is it not, then, better to take at any 

 rate a goodly part of the eggs of a stream, artificially 

 impregnate and hatch them, sell what can be sold, 

 and return some of the fry to the stream whence they 

 came ? Still better, perhaps, would it be to introduce 

 young fry from other waters, as a change of strain, if 

 judiciously managed, may do wonders for a stream. 

 Fresh blood is often a great benefit in nearly every- 

 thing, from a Ministry to a pig-stye, and assuredly a 

 trout stream is no exception ; but one great point 

 should never be lost sight of ; that is, every egg should 

 burst in the water the fish will afterwards inhabit. 



