12 THE NEW AKT OF BREEDING FISH. 



hand, he prevents her violent struggles by pressing 

 her head and body against him, and with his other 

 hand strokes her belly, till, in a few moments, she 

 becomes quieted. All animals are sensible to these 

 caresses, or similar ones made on their backs, and 

 take them willingly ; witness the cat and dog, which 

 by purring, whining, rubbing against us, or licking 

 our hands seek to obtain them. 



When the trout is thus magnetized, or put to 

 sleep, as Mr. Gehin calls it, he inclines it over a vase, 

 which he has prepared to receive its eggs by putting 

 in it about a quart of water ; in order to make sure 

 of the fish remaining quiet, another person, if neces- 

 sary, holds its tail, then Mr. Gehin with the thumb 

 and forefinger of his right hand presses lightly the 

 belly from top to bottom. This must be carefully 

 and gently done, as one would press from root to 

 extremity a finger cut at the end, to extract the 

 blood and prevent its further flow ; or as one would 

 milk a cow, but by no means with so much force as 

 that operation requires, for if the proper time has 

 been chosen the eggs will be pressed out by a very 

 gentle effort, and if more is required, it will prove 

 that the fish has not gone her full time for spawn- 

 ing, and the eggs thus obtained cannot in that case 

 be fecundated. 



Passing the finger and thumb in this manner 

 over the fish's belly, the eggs at each pass will spirt 

 out, like a little liquid stream, falling into the vase. 



When by a number of these passes the eggs are 



