212 FISH CULTUEB. 



ceeds; and as, if the ova had heen left in their 

 streams, they would not get one per cent, nor even 

 one quarter per cent, of fry from it, the advantage 

 of our method of dealing must be manifest. 



'Sow, where trout are engaged in the act of 

 spawning, other trout, and many other fish and 

 vermin of all kinds, find out where a pair of fish are 

 spawning, and take up a favourable position for 

 devouring the spawn, which position, unless much 

 disturbed, they never leave while the process is 

 going on, but remain feeding on the ova to the last 

 pellet. If, however, these destroyers are swept out 

 by the net and violently disturbed, it will be some 

 days before they wiU settle down to the same work 

 as before, so greatly will the netting have disturbed 

 them. Meanwhile the beds are left unmolested, and 

 are covered and hidden, and the trout are compelled 

 by nature to continue their process ; so that large 

 quantities of ova are deposited, or made secure during 

 and through this disturbance, which would not 

 otherwise have been deposited at all, but would be 

 devoured. Indeed, if either of the above-named 

 gentlemen were to rear some 5,000 or 10,000 of fry, 

 I believe they might give away every other ova 

 their fisheries produced without missing it. 



