458 SALMON AND TROUT. 



compartments of the same trough, and counted out in batches 

 of one or more thousands, ready to send away at the right time, 

 and at a moment's notice. 



Nature has provided the young fish with the * umbilical sac,' 

 which supports them for about six weeks : this gradually be- 

 comes smaller, until it is finally absorbed into the system. 



The newly-hatched fish is a perfect marvel of construction, 

 and can be seen to perfection in a drop of water under a micro- 

 scope at a low power. Every organ is shown distinctly; the 

 colouring of the skin and the circulation of the blood through 

 the whole system is plainly visible. Buckland writes, ' The foot 

 of a frog is pretty enough, but is no more to be compared to the 

 young fish than a schoolboy's daub to one of Sir Edwin Land- 

 seer's pictures.' 



REARING OF THE FRY. 



While the young fish are in the ' Alevin ' stage, there is but 

 little to be done in the hatchery ; almost all that is necessary is 

 to keep the water constantly running in a slightly larger volume 

 and to remove the few fish which may die. During this period 

 I prepare for sending them away by removing them to a large 

 shallow tank capable of containing fifty or sixty perforated zinc 

 trays, each holding a thousand or two. Overcrowding is 

 thus avoided, and the fish are at hand at a moment's notice. 

 In about six weeks after hatching, the umbilical sac is com- 

 pletely absorbed, and the young fish require food. 



L, Stone says concerning the rearing of Fry, * Here, the 

 triumphant skill which hatched the eggs successfully was baffled, 

 and it seemed for a time as if the wonderful art which had 

 promised so much was to come to a stand-still at this gulf 

 between the eggs and the yearling trout, a gulf which seemed 

 as if it could not be bridged. . . . The question is not now, 

 "Can young trout be raised ? " but " How many can do it, and 

 under what circumstances can it be done successfully ? " ' 



Feeding artificially in ' rearing boxes ' is, in my opinion, an 



