Anterican Fisheries Societj/ 89 



fish are absohitoly iniable to lx»ar. Instead of the offal or 

 horse flesli, the dry foods are to be preferred under all circmn- 

 stances. These, if well and properly prepared, may be em- 

 ployed as a substitute for fresh fish. As to the mode of prejjar- 

 ing and feeding them explanation has already been given in 

 connection with fry feeding. We add to that only that among 

 the dry foods the fish-meals are to be ranked first, while, on the- 

 other hand, blood-meal which is often considered hard to di- 

 gest, should be employed less as a food for yearlings than for 

 forcing. 



Food for Brood Fish. 



It may be stated here as a foundation principle, that brood 

 fish, if they are to produce healthy and strong progeny, must 

 be carefully provided with the best sort of food, with which 

 the fish breeder must be especially careful. It it cannot be 

 doubted that fish grown in free nature and wild waters produce 

 the healthiest offspring, it follows that for brood-fish live na- 

 tural food is the fittest under all circumstances. He, there- 

 fore, who can possibly keep his brood fish in large ponds, in 

 which nature provides the necessary food, does best to omit ar- 

 tificial feeding altogether. There are some fish-breeding sta- 

 tions so favorably situated that the insect world occurs in ex- 

 ceptional numbers in these waters and there lays its eggs, so 

 that the ponds swarm with insect larvae. Here great quanti- 

 ties of brood fish can grow without artificial feeding. 



Where nature is not so liberal the breeder may help by in- 

 troducing into the pond, in quantities, for example, amphipods 

 and snails, which increase there notably and are eagerly taken by 

 the fish. On this subject we have already written more fully 

 imder '"'The Feeding of Yearlings," and also indicated the 

 unfortunately narrow time-limit within which it is possible to se- 

 cure live food in sufficient quantities. 



Unfortunately the majority of pond establishments are not 

 situated under so favoral)le climatic conditions that they can 

 leave everything to nature. The desire to maintain the most 

 possible brood-fish in a given space and under existing water 

 conditions is entirely justifiable, and the great majority of fish 

 culturists are therefore compelled to maintain and rear even 

 their brood-fish with artificial food. 



