48 THE NEW ART OF BREKDING FISH. 



haps come in contact with the milt, which should 

 reach every part of them. It will be well, if the fe- 

 males are found to be very productive, to empty the 

 spawn into a number of vessels. The results wiU 

 then be more satisfactory. 



As soon as the process of delivering the female 

 of the spawn is complete, if it appears that the ope- 

 ration of expressing it has brought along with it any 

 part of the mucus which is secreted by her intestines, 

 the water should be immediately changed, so as to 

 free it from every impurity, care being always taken 

 that the eggs are not allowed to become dry. This 

 done, a male fish should be taken, and his milt ex- 

 pressed in the same manner as the female's eggs. 

 If the milt has arrived at a state of maturity it will 

 flow abundantly, white and thick like. cream, and as 

 soon as enough has been taken from him to give to 

 the water in the vessel the appearance of whey, it is 

 saturated sufficiently. But in order that the fecun- 

 dating particles may be spread every where and uni- 

 formly, the precaution should be taken of agitating 

 the mixture, and of softly turning over the eggs 

 with the hand, or what is better, with the fine long 

 hairs of a brush, so that no part of their surface 

 shall escape contact with the fecundating element. 



After two or three minutes' rest the fecundation) 

 is accomplished, and then the eggs, with the water 

 surrounding them, should be emptied into the hatch- 

 ing basins ; or if these basins are some distance 

 removed from where the operation has been per- 



