STOCKING. 143 



submerged food. One quick stroke with the 

 tail, a dart upwards, and the unfortunate little 

 Salmo fario is across the pike's cruel jaws and 

 swallowed almost before it realises the danger. 

 Now, as a pike of eight or nine inches in length 

 can gorge and digest a five-inch yearling, 

 obviously where the small pike are very plenti- 

 ful the yearling is not to be recommended for 

 stocking purposes. 



Two-year-old or larger fish are of course, Two-year- 

 owing to their greater size and strength, better 

 able to keep out of harm's way ; but, besides 

 the prime cost, they are more difficult and more 

 expensive to move. The heavy mortality during 

 transit, except in the coldest weather, is a 

 serious addition to their cost. In a stream 

 where the stock has been allowed to run down 

 very low, they are preferable, as being one year 

 more advanced towards maturity, and therefore 

 likely to reproduce one year sooner than year- 

 lings. On the question of adapting themselves 

 to their novel surroundings, and finding their 

 own food, there is, perhaps, not much to choose 

 between the two-year-olds and yearlings. 



Altogether, if expense is no object, two-year- Keeping 

 olds should be selected ; but if, from motives stT w f of Vn" * 

 of economy, yearlings have to be used, they 

 should, as far as practicable, be turned into the 

 stream on a shallow where pike and large trout 



year. 



