112 BRITISH SPORTING FISHES. 
water fish is inexpensive and easy under anything 
like favourable conditions. The larger and more 
wealthy fishing associations adopt this method of 
stocking or restocking their waters; a method 
which has the great advantage that fish can be 
hatched in very great numbers, suitable to large 
areas. The process of hatching is long, and we 
cannot here speak of it. The eggs hatch into 
avelins, which, as soon as they begin to feed, are 
termed fry. The nutrition of the avelin is gained 
from the yolk-sac, which still attaches to it. Prior 
to the total absorption of this the immature 
fish are stationary, and do not absorb oxygen—or 
to such a small extent that they cannot die of 
oxygen starvation. If turned down into streams 
with pebbly shallows, they sink into the sheltering 
gravel; and when the process of absorption is 
completed, they begin life as fry. The charac- 
teristics of the avelin, which we have pointed out, 
make it easy and safe of transport. 
Fry and yearling fish are most used for the 
purposes of restocking. The former are lively 
little things, about an inch long, and if turned out 
under anything like favourable conditions soon 
begin to fare for themselves. If fairly acclima- 
tised, they may be turned into the streams after 
they have been feeding for about a couple of 
months. In doing this they should be handled 
