BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 455 



grilse were seldom got tinder 5jJ pounds, while the heaviest salmon 

 caught in the river in 1882 weighed 18 pounds. In Loeh Eck, out of 

 which the Echaig flows, fish weighing nearly 30 pounds have been taken 

 with the net. The capacity of the hatchery is 100,000 ova. In the 

 season of 1882, 80,000 young salmon from Tay and Tweed ova, after the 

 absorption of the umbilical sac, were turned into the river and tribu- 

 taries. The boxes are filled to within a few inches of the top with 

 coarse gravel, a layer of finer gravel above forming the bed for the ova. 

 The loss has not exceeded 5 per cent. The hatchery has been idle for 

 two seasons, it being questionable if any permanent benefit can be had 

 in the attempt to stock small rivers on the west coast at present. 



(9) Lochbuy fishery, Isle of Mull. — This fishery was established 

 in 1878. It is the property of Maclaine of Lochbuy. "Upwards of 50,000 

 ova of salmon, sea and other varieties of trout (Sahno fontinalis, &c), 

 are annually hatched. The proprietor every year imports eggs from 

 Norway, Germany, Austria, and America. There are large ponds for 

 the reception of fry and for keeping breeding stock. The specialty of 

 the establishment is the breeding and rearing of salmon and sea trout 

 (spawned from the wild fish caught in the rivers on the property), for 

 the restocking of the rivers and lakes on Lochbuy estate for sporting 

 purposes. Large sheets of water on the estate, which were utterly un- 

 tenanted by fish, now teem with splendid varieties, and afford magnifi- 

 cent sport to the angler. The proprietor not only stocks his own wa- 

 ters, but also sells ova, fry, or grown fish. 



(10) Aberdeen hatchery. — This hatchery was established in the 

 end of 1863 by the district boards of the rivers Dee and Don, and has 

 been under the experienced management of Mr. Alexander Adam, man- 

 ager of the Aberdeen Salmou Company. It is erected in the fish house 

 of the salmon company, where a quantity of ice is always kept. The 

 average time of hatching is 107 days. There are 13 boxes made of slate 

 laid in with gravel. From 15,000 to 20,000 are hatched out every year. 

 The fry are distributed in the rivers Dee and Don as soon as the um- 

 bilical sac is absorbed. The average loss in hatching has been found 

 to be about 7£ per cent. The fry are taken up the rivers from 10 to 20 

 miles, sometimes as far as 40 miles, in pails, and, by using a little ice on 

 the way, the temperature of the water is kept down. 



(11) The Moriston hatchery, Inverness shire. — This hatchery 

 was erected in 1878 on the property of J. R. J. M. Grant, esq., of Glen- 

 moriston, for the purpose of stocking the river Moriston with sal- 

 mon. The Moriston was not accessible to salmon until a pass was 

 formed, a few years ago, at the falls, near Loch Ness. The hatchery is 

 situated 3 miles above the falls on a tributary of the river. There are 

 40 boxes laid with gravel, each large enough to receive 1,000 salmon 

 ova. Neither the glass grill system nor the Wilmot tray has yet been 

 tried. An average of about 30,000 fry were turned out in each of five 



