12 FISH CULTURE 



fresUy hatched, fry collected and ready to rise 

 towards the surface of the water, all at the same 

 time. 



Fry have been seen at nine oclock in the 

 morning tight against the bottom, and at three 

 o'clock in the afternoon swimming near the sur- 

 face. On occasions fry may be hugging the 

 stones on the nest, and half an hour later be 

 swimming freely two or three inches above the 

 bottom. In deep water or on sloping bottoms, 

 movements of the fry are apt to escape notice. 

 Before the culturist is aware of it, he will find 

 the edges of his pond black with advanced fry 

 which have escaped being impounded, and which 

 he will find extremely difficult to capture in 

 their entirety. 



Sides and Outlets. — ^Ponds with sides of 

 natural earth are better than those with sides 

 constructed of concrete, stones or boards. Be- 

 sides, the cost of artificial walls would be so 

 great as to be almost prohibitive. The only 

 drawback to the natural earth is the proneness 

 of muskrats to pierce them with holes, which de- 

 stroy the banks and often allow water to escape. 

 The sides of a bass-pond should always be 



