79 



what are their surroundings or are supposed by them to 

 be. The trout becoming blind imagines that everything 

 about him is black and so assimilates his own hue to it 

 as nearly as he can. It is possible that the power is 

 bestowed upon these creatures as a defence against pre- 

 dacious birds which can not see them so readily if they 

 are the color of the bottom on which they are lying, 



i*O0D. — In keeping large numbers of fish either for 

 breeding or for sale, the first thing to be determined is, 

 what is the best food which can be obtained cheapest 

 and in the greatest quantities. This question is impor- 

 tant because the profit depends upon it. All other 

 circumstances being equal, he who can obtain (he cheap- 

 est food will make fish raising pay the best. In France 

 and Germany dead animals are gathered from the farms 

 around the fish establishments ai)d made into pates, or 

 pies, which are fed to the fish as wanted. However 

 good this may be for thefish it is somewhat repugnant 

 to the taste of the fish eater. In this, country we pur- 

 sue a cleaner method. The pluck of animals killed (that 

 is the lights, liver and heart) is obtained from the butchers. 

 This food can be obtained fresh at least once or twice a 

 week in most localities and kept fresh by means of an ice 

 house. In fact trout will not eat decayed or spoiled 

 meat unless they are very hungry. They are very dainty 

 in their tastes and will often go hungry rather than 

 take anything which they do not fancy. We feed meat 

 to them raw. 



The lights should be given to the larger fish as it can 

 not be chopped as fine as the liver and is more apt to 

 hang in strips or strings. The liver which can easily be 

 cut into small pieces may be fed to the smaller fish. 

 Trout will sometimes choke to death ; they are so greedy 

 that they attempt to swallow a very large piece of food 



