THE GAME BREEDER 17 



place. It is a difficult matter under the pends largely upon the temperature of 

 above circumstances to make exact ob- the water. Three years ago we marked 

 servations. a nest where fish were spawning and 



The eggs, at least in some instances, visited it regularly every day. It was 

 are deposited in elongated bunches or in early springtime, and was one of the 

 strings by the female, but soon spread first nests we observed. The water was 

 and adhere to the particles of vegetation * cold and it took fifteen days for the 

 •in the nest. Other observers note that eggs to hatch and only a small per cent, 

 the eggs adhere to the gravel in the nest. (we should judge about 10 per cent.) 

 This would be true in gravel and pebble of them hatched. Many of the eggs, 

 nests, and where there is no vegetable for one reason or another, disappeared, 

 matter to form a lining for the nest bed, The eggs that were lost from this and 

 and is especially true with the small- some other nests that we were watching 

 mouthed Black Bass, as reported by disappeared apparently during the night 

 various breeders of this species. time. We were not able to discover the 



We have not been able to figure out cause of their disappearance. Some of 

 just how long this spawning process the eggs turned white, due to fungus 

 lasts. We think, however, from obser- growths. Another nest that we marked 

 vation made at the Hatchery, that at loiter in the season came off, so to speak, 

 least in some cases it does not last very "i twelve days ; and another still later in 



long — only a few minutes. We are not the season hatched in seven days, 



certain, however, about the number of We found one this spring, which, 



times the operation may be repeated, if ''"'o mistake was made in the day 



Such observations are hard to get when when the eggs were deposited, hatched 



fish are active and in from one to two i" ^'^^ days. This was in the latter 



feet of water. We have observed cer- P^-^t of May, when the water was warm 



tain spawning on a few occasions, and ^"^ ^11 conditions most favorable, 

 when we would examine the place a few- 

 hours afterwards the spawning would -^ 

 seem to have ceased. After the spawn- Yet To Be Landed. 

 mg has finished, the male usually takes ,, ^. t^ t. 

 charge of the nest and attempts to drive ^°^- ^- ^- ^^aldwin, 



the female away. After a day or so, if Member of the Montana Fish and 

 you will take the trouble to watch the Game Commission, 



nest, you will find that the female, which The grandsire sat in his easy chair, 



IS usually the larger fish, has disap- And his laugh was a gurgling c'roak, 



peared ; or she may be seen swimming While the grandson told of a monstrous 

 around several feet from the nest. trout 



The male fish guards the nest and He had hooked on a line— which broke, 



eggs during the greater part of the Then the old man gravely smiled and 

 period of incubation, so to speak, and is said, 



"°iT ^Z^^ pugnacious than ever. He My dear boy, it was large I know, 



will hght anything that comes in his For I hooked that same old fish myself, 



dooryard, and is very active and very Some fifty years ago. 

 busy flying around from place to place. 



When he is not annoyed by intruders * 



he spends much of his time over the nest, Members of the Game Conservation 



his hns continually moving, in order that Society are requested to purchase from 



tresh currents of water may continue to those who advertise. 



How over the eggs and prevent any 



sediment from settling upon them. This ^ 



great vigilance and activity on the part The Game Conservation Society is now 



ot the. male fish is kept up until the eggs the largest association of game breeders 

 natch. Ihe period of incubation de- in the world. 



