140 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



The facts were — the male salmon always ascend the rivers at the approach of the 

 spawning season, before the females. They repaired to the spawning beds, where 

 they knew the females would come, waiting their arrival ; the desires of the male 

 fish being accomplished, they selfishly deserted the females, returning to the sea, 

 and leaving the females on the beds to complete the operations of spawning — hence 

 the causes why the male fish were always to be found in the commencement of the 

 season on the spawning grounds, and in the latter part of the season the meeting 

 only the female fish. Mr. Ashworth's experiments had, in some degree, failed this 

 year. Much attention was also required in the transport of the ova. Some had 

 been sent to him from Galway, this year, in damp moss, and, although the ova had 

 been placed in a most favourable deposit-bed, had altogther failed. Mr. Ffennell 

 was happy to say, that all the little fish shown in the Exhibition were lively and 

 well, and had wonderfully grown. The ova he had obtained during the last 

 spawning season, and which he had been watching the development of at the 

 Custom-house, had very recently produced the young fry, and they were to be seen 

 in numbers sporting among the gravel, with the yolk still attached. The period of 

 the ova coming to maturity to the extrication of the young fry was 80 days. He 

 wished that any of the members and their friends would call, and he would be most 

 happy to show the whole process of the experiments. He was glad to say, that 

 under the aid of the Board of Public Works, he had formed a salt-water inclosure 

 at Kingstown, where there was a regular flow of the tide, and of sufficient depth, 

 and where he proposed, at the proper season (this month), to transport the young 

 fry, and he was sure that plenty of natural food would be found there for them, 

 brought in by the tide. In fact, as he had been so successful in the growth of the 

 young fry in the fresh water, he fully anticipated their more complete development 

 in the salt water, and that he could be able, at the end of the season, to produce 

 salmon of many pounds in weight ; and he saw no reason why such enclosures 

 might not be generally practised, and that the estuaries and inlets of our coasts 

 might be converted into fish parks as naturally as enclosures are formed into deer 

 parks. He hoped the Society would excuse his not being prepared with a paper, but 

 lie would, before the session was over, lay very full statistics before it. 



The Chairman said, that it was unnecessary for him to make any remarks on the 

 importance of such a subject ; its value was well known. He would, as Mr. Ffen- 

 nell had, in so complimentary a manner, alluded to the usefulness of the Society in 

 such investigations, put the question to the members to offer their opinions upon 

 the subject. 



Mr. Williams begged to propose a vote of thanks to Mr. Ffennell, for the great 

 interest of the communication made by him, which, being seconded by Doctor 

 Farran, was unanimously responded to. 



Mr. Andrews, as one of the honorary secretaries, said, that he considered it due 

 from him to thank Mr. Ffennell for the kind manner in which he came forward to 

 give this statement, particularly as his time had been so occupied by his public 

 duties. He had followed Mr. Ffennell throughout, and saw, step by step, how impor- 

 tant were such operations, and how valuable the results, to the extent at present 

 witnessed. He considered that Mr. Ffennell deserved the highest credit for so perse- 

 veringly carrying on those experiments, and which may probably result in great public 

 benefit. The re-stocking of our rivers with valuable fish by artificial means, must, 

 for food, and in a commercial point of view, be enormously beneficial. That excel- 

 lent philosopher, the late Sir Humphrey Davy, who was a good, practical fisher- 

 man, suggested the practicability of conveying the ova of the more valuable kinds 

 of fi6h of the Continental lakes and rivers, and propagating them in the barren 

 waters of other countries. The difficulty of transporting the impregnated ova in a 

 healthy state to remote distances is now comparatively trifling. To keep the water 

 in the tanks of as cool and even a temperature as possible, and the water pure by 

 the growth of acquatic plants, particularly the Charae, are all that seem necessary 

 for the safe preservation of the ova. In about ninety days the young will be liberated 

 from the capsule, and for, at least, thirty days more the fry will be independent of 

 nourishment, until the vitelline-sac is absorbed. Thus, in the present days of quick 

 transit, the ova could be transported to our remotest colonies in that state, requiring 

 but little attention, before the time of reaching their destination. The temperature 



