REARING 189 



be nominal, and you must now put your shoulder to 

 the wheel. 



It is of great importance to get the fry to feed as 

 soon as possible. By throwing in very small particles 

 of food, and carefully observing the result, you will 

 soon ascertain what progress is being made. The 

 plan of turning out very young fry into ponds and 

 streams immediately after the absorption of the 

 umbilical sac has not found general favour amongst 

 fish-culturists. The habit of feeding not having 

 been acquired, the loss of a large percentage from 

 starvation is inevitable. An eminent authority on 

 fish culture has admitted that in transferring very 

 young fry straight from the hatching-boxes to 

 hundred-feet protected ponds he has allowed for a 

 loss of nearly seventy per cent, from starvation, 

 even though the fry were regularly fed by expe- 

 rienced assistants. 1 



The method which I favour is that of extending 

 to the young fry the protection of the boxes for several 

 weeks viz. until they are larger and stronger, and 

 have grown thoroughly accustomed to feeding. But 

 especially do I recommend the use of the rearing- 

 boxes where you intend afterwards to grow the trout 



1 History of ffo'victonn, by Sir J. Ramsay Gibson Maitland, 

 Bart. 



