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custom to half fill the pan with water, but now the eggs 

 are mixed as dry as they can be, and it is found that a 

 far higher percentage are impregnated. The milt seems 

 to drown in water quickly. Only enough eggs should 

 be taken to cover the bottom of the pan with a single 

 layer. If more eggs are to be had, more pans should be 

 used, and as soon as all the fish have been handled they 

 should be returned to the water. 



It takes very little milt to impregnate a large number 

 of eggs ; but, in practice, we generally take all the milt 

 we can get out of the haul. It is sometimes our custom 

 also to put the male fish, whose milt has been exhausted, 

 into a pond by themselves, to keep them from running 

 up into the race again and troubling the females. This 

 is a very good plan, if you have plenty of ponds and 

 plenty offish. If you have but a small number of males 

 compared with the number of females, put them back 

 again into the pond, as they will probably have a 

 second and third renewal of milt. 



After stripping a female once she should be returned 

 to the tub from which she was taken, and should be 

 stripped again after a short time during which other fish 

 are being handled. This is to get the last egg from her, 

 and if it is not done a few will remain and she will go 

 on the spawning beds to deposit them as if she had a 

 full supply. If she is. cleaned entirely she will not bother 

 herself or her owner about the matter again that season. 

 The California mountain trout retain their eggs and milt 

 with more determination than our brook trout and must 

 be humored like' a cow that will not give down her milk 

 to any one but the creature for which nature intended 

 it. After the trout are handled they are returned to 

 different tubs according to their siges, as this is th^ ooca- 



