BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. ?>^~ 



95 ON THE BEARING, (iltOWTII, AND llltl I l)l\(; OF MAI.MON IN 



FRESH WATER IN GREAT BRITAIN. 



By FRANCIS DAY. 



[Abstract of a paper before the Linnean Society <>t London, March 0, 188.">. | 



In December, 1880, Sir James Maitland, at Howieton, obtained salmon 

 eggs and milt from fish captured in the Teith, and from which ova 

 hatched in March, 1881. In July, 1883, it was seen that some of the 

 yonng salmon, then two years and four months old, were in parr liverj 

 or had a#sumed the dress of the silvery smolts, the latter in certain 

 lights showing parr bands. On November 7, 1884, a smolt 1£ pounds 

 weight jumped out of the pond and from this fish about 100 eggs were 

 taken. As they seemed to be ripe they were milted from a Loch 

 Leven trout. On January 23, 1885, 18 of these eggs hatched, aud the 

 young were strong and healthy. On November 11, 1884, about 12,000 

 Loch Leven trout'eggs were milted from one of the foregoing smolts and 

 they hatched on January 28, 1885. On December 1, 1884, 1,500 eggs 

 were taken from two of the foregoing smolts, and milted from one of 

 the males. On the 9th about 4,000 eggs from these smolts were fertil- 

 ized from one of the males, and ou the 13th 2,500 smolt eggs were 

 milted from a parr. Pure salmon eggs have been hatched in the Howie 

 ton fishery ; the young have grown to parr, smolts, and grilse ; tie 

 latter have yielded eggs, and their eggs have been hatched with a fair 

 degree of success. 



Although some time must elapse before it can be ascertained how thes< 

 young salmon will thrive, how large they will eventually become in 

 freshwater ponds, and whether a landlocked race may be expected 

 from them, still the following points seem to have been established: 

 That male parrs or smolts may afford milt capable of fertilizing ova. 

 but if taken from fish in their second season, at thirty-two months of 

 age, they are insufficient to produce vigorous fry ; that female smolts 

 or grilse may yield eggs at thirty-two months of age, but those a year 

 older are better adapted for the production of vigorous fry; wherefore 

 to develop ova a visit to the sea is not a physiological necessity ; that 

 young male salmon are more matured tor breeding purposes than a 

 young females of the same season's growth ; thatfemale Salmonidasun- 

 der twenty-four months of age, although they may yield ova, are of 

 little use for breeding purposes, the young, if produced, being gener- 

 ally weak or malformed; that at Howieton hybrids between trout and 

 salmon have so far proved to be sterile. Furthermore, it was stated 

 that the size of eggs of the Salmonidce vary with the age and condition 

 of the parent; but, as a ale, older Bsh yield larger ova than tl><- 

 younger oues. Even among the eggs of individual fish variations occur 



