and no crack open. Let the water run through and over all your
ponds and apparatus for as long as possible before you begin
operations.

CHAPTER VI

TROUT. MANAGEMENT OF THE OVA AND ALEVINS

Everything should now be ready for the reception of the ova. The rearing
boxes are resting upon stones placed at the bottom of the ponds, with
the edges some six inches above the level of the water, and moored to
the sides to prevent their being moved by the current. The hatching
trays are suspended in the rearing boxes, or placed upon movable rests
in the boxes, with their edges just above the level of the water.

Notice is usually sent a day or two before the ova are despatched from
fish cultural establishments, so the amateur has no excuse for not being
absolutely ready for their reception. They are packed in various ways,
and nowadays suffer but little in the transit. The ova should always be
carefully washed before they are placed in the hatching trays. Mr.
Armistead, in _A Handy Guide to Fish Culture_, says:--"If just turned
out of a packing case there may be small pieces of moss or other
material amongst them. In any case a wash will do them no harm, and the
process is a very simple one. Take a pail, half-filled with ova, and
then fill up with water, and with a small lading-can lift some of the
water out, and pour it back again, so as to cause a downward current,
which will agitate the ova. Their specific gravity being greater than
that of water, they immediately retire again to the bottom of the pail,
and by at once pouring off as much water as is practicable, any floating
particles of moss, etc., may be carried off. Should any be left, the
process should be repeated, and it may even be necessary to repeat it
several times. When all is right take a ladle, or small vessel of some
kind, say a good-sized tea-cup, and gently ladle out the eggs, and place
them roughly on the grills, where they may be roughly spread by means of
a feather."

To these instructions I would add some for the amateur, who will
probably deal with a comparatively small number of ova. The ova should
be washed in some large vessel full of water in the manner above
described. When the water is quite clear, and the ova clean, they may be
caught in mid-water as they are sinking either in the hatching trays or
in a cup. If caught in a cup they should be transferred with great care
to the hatching trays, and spread out in a single and somewhat spar