TAKING THE EGGS. 



117 



otherwise be lost. The difference between a skilled 

 expert and a novice in this respect is astonishing. 

 The former will run through a large lot of fish, and 

 spawn them all properly in a time that would seem 

 incredibly short to a bungler, who would very likely 

 consume half a day on the same number. The results, 

 also, of his manipulations, will present an equal con- 

 trast in the impregnation of the eggs. Acquire, there- 

 fore, as much dexterity as you can in handling the fish. 



Closing Notes. 



The spawning season for brook trout in New Eng- 

 land begins the first or second week of October. It 

 is earlier north of New England, and later south of it. 

 The length of the spawning period depends on the 

 equability of the temperature of the water. In ordi- 

 nary brooks, where the temperature of the water varies 

 with the temperature of the air, the spawning is over 

 by the middle of December, and often before* In 

 spring water, when the temperature is not affected by 

 the air, the trout sometimes continue to spawn all 

 winter. In Seth Green's ponds, the trout begin to 

 spawn the 12th of October, and continue spawning 



* I think it must be now admitted, in view of so much evi- 

 dence, that individual members of the Salmo family spawn in 

 the spring. How much is the rule and how much the excep- 

 tion we do not know. The Danube Salmon [Salmo hucko) all 

 do. See Artificial Fish Breeding, Fry, p. 52. There is also a 

 variety of salmon in the St. John River, N. B., that come up regu- 

 larly to spawn in the spring. The same is reported of the Brit- 

 ish rivers Wye and Severn. See River Fisheries, " Land and 

 Water," April 29 and May 20, 1871. 



