WHERE FISH FLOURISH.
To pass from the largest and fiercest of Canadian animals to one of the smallest, a peculiarly interesting series of experi- ments is being carried through in King Edward's Island on the optimum of conditions for fish, especially trout. What influences tend to the greatest percentage of survival in eggs and fry, and what hinders or promotes growth ? Perfectly natural conditions are available, and a number of ingenious devices ensure the scientific control of a number of compart- ments of the water. A detail that interests me is the dis- covery that the stickleback—the tiddler—for all its smallness, will attack trout fry ; and a multitude of sticklebacks may be worse for trout than a -few otter or heron. War in the waters is fierce, and it is curious. For example, I found in a garden pond that the worst enemy of the goldfish were water beetles, .especially Dyticus, which spent much of its leisure in biting the tails of the fish.. Fish themselves have a surprising fondness for one another's tails ! There is one. pool in the nauarium at Regent's Park (the most attractive in the world)
where not a single fish has a complete tail. It seems to be the recognized pastime to swim round and round nibbling at the rudder in front !
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