. 186 THE GAME BREEDER 



bottom and by that action clearing off pieces of decaying sticks, are fond of 



the sediment. Each fish takes part in the feeding upon the eggs as well as upon 



work and as they work close together a the fry before the sac is absorbed. It 



circular area is finally cleaned, in diam- requires from 75 to 200 days for trout 



eter equal to the length of the larger eggs to hatch, the actual time depending 



fish, or a "little more. Here, finally, the upon the temperature of the water, 



female rubs over the nest thus formed. Without any protection it is little won- 



quivering as she goes, and expels some der if only one egg hatches and produces 



eggs. The male immediately follows, go- one mature fish, 



ing through the same motions and expels Taking advantage of the knowledge 



some milt — this is a milky white sub- of the spawning habits of the fish, the 



stance which colors the water. This op- fish culturist by trapping or netting 



eration of the male and female is re- them a short time before they are ready 



peated until the female has laid all the to spawn and holding them until ripe is 



eggs that she has. able to save 99% of eggs which other- 



The fertilization of fish eggs under wise would float away. This midwifery 

 natural conditions may be likened to the is aceomplished by a gentle pressure 

 fertilization of flowers. The eggs corre- along the abdomen expelling tfee eggs 

 spond to the seeds of plants and the milt into a pan containing no water. The 

 of the male corresponds to the pollen, milt of the male is then expelled in direct 

 In the fertilization of flowers, as you contact with the eggs in the pan. Thus 

 know, the wind and various insects act almost complete fertilization is accom- 

 as carrying agents to transmit the pollen plished. The eggs are then placed on 

 to the seed, while with the fish, the water trays in a gentle current of water and 

 is the only agent which carries the milt protected until they hatch, until the sac 

 or fertilizing power of the male to the is absorbed or as much longer as the fa- 

 eggs, cilities of the fish culturist permit. 



Having deposited and fertilized the This knowledge of the spawning hab- 



eggs, this pair of fish depart — never to its of the trout which has led the fish 



return. There may be other fish around culturist to conserve, the eggs which 



waiting to eat the eggs but there also would naturally go to waste may be ap- 



may be another pair of trout which se- plied to almost all kinds of fishes, vari- 



lect the pool with the same nest as ations as to small details in manipula- 



spawning bed. While clearing this off tion and hatchery equipment, being ef- 



they eat any eggs which are thus up- fected to suit the requirements of each 



turned and go through the same per- species. 



formance as the first pair. This opera- With the commercial fishes, like the 



tion may be repeated by half a dozen shad and the cod, or the wall eyed pike 



different pairs of trout. Finally some and white fish of the Great Lakes, the 



eggs are left for the water to care for, a artificial propagation is more a matter of 



prey to all the minor aquatic animal life conservation than is that of the trout 



as well as any fishes which the water and allied species which are returned 



contains. alive to the waters after the spawn has 



I have caught twenty-one trout hang- been taken, 



ing around the spawning bed of a pair. In the propagation of the commercial 



evidently waiting for the latter to leave species just mentioned and of many oth- 



in order that they might eat their eggs, ers, spawn takers are placed aboard the 



Most of these trout were males but a boats of the fishermen and merely take 



few of them were "spent" females. It the eggs of such fish as are caught for 



is not uncommon to catch suckers on the the market in ripe or mature condition 



spawning beds of trout with trout eggs as to spawn. For example, the roe of 



in their stomachs. The caddis larvae — the shad, which you consider a luxury 



worms- whose homes are composed of on your table, is the unripe spawn of 



small pebbles or of particles of wood so the shad. Only a very small proportion 



ingenuously constructed as to resemble of the shad which are taken in the nets 



