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undergone. The female does not seem to rest, she con- 

 tinues covering the eggs and does not then leave the place. 

 The reason tor this is that she has not yet emitted all her 

 eggs, for trout occupy some time in their spawning, lay- 

 ing their eggs at intervals, as they become ripe. Observers 

 differ as to the length of time occupied in spawning. 

 The time is not usually more than three days, although 

 sometimes extending to six days, the female covering the 

 eggs as she emits them. 



When it is understood that some of the eggs do not 

 sink into the nesfr, but are carried oft by the current, and 

 that only a part of every batch escape the jaws of their 

 parents, and of the many trout swimming around the 

 spawning place, one may begin to preceive the advantage 

 of artificial methods. To make the danger of loss greater ; 

 after the nest is finished, the parents gone, and the eggs 

 nicely hatching, another pair come along intent on similar 

 business. The female sees the place where the first has 

 laid her eggs, and, fancying it a good spot for her own 

 nest, begins to make one there. As soon as the eggs are 

 uncovered, by the preparatory operations, the pair eat 

 up all they can find, and then proceed to lay their own 

 eggs, only perhaps, to be served in the same way by others. 

 When it is considered, also, that all kinds of water-fowl 

 are tond of these eggs and diligently search after them, 

 and that in the spring time the young fry furnish a large 

 proportion of food for the older ones, the wonder seems 

 to be, not that there are so few trout in our streams, but 

 that there are any left. Another cause of the rapid 

 diminution of trout in settled countries, is the tame 

 ducks which are allowed on the stream. They wander 

 at will peacefully up and down the stream, explore every 

 foot of the bottom, turning over the gravel with their 

 long bills, and leaving very few of the eggs to hatch. 



