456 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



years j the fry from the hatching of the spring of 1883 only being turned 

 into a temporary pond, where they were kept until they were a year 

 old. A few salmon are seen every year ascending the pass into the 

 river, which is strictly preserved, it being thought desirable not to dis- 

 turb the water yet, either by rod or by net, for the purpose of sport or 

 of collecting ova. Mr. Grant is anxious to make the Moriston an early 

 fishing river, and, with this view, takes ova only from other early 

 rivers. Some of the proprietors of these rivers in the neighborhood are 

 averse to disturbing their waters for the collection of ova, and the fish- 

 ery boards, in the absence of unanimity on the question, do not see their 

 way to give authority to take ova, as they doubt whether they have 

 the power to do so under the present law ; consequently, the hatchery 

 has not been filled during the last two spawning seasons. 



It appears that the Duke of Sutherland's hatchery at Loch Brora, 

 Sutherlandshire, and the Duke of Buccleuch's ponds at Drumlanrig, 

 Dumfriesshire — the latter so celebrated in connection with the experi- 

 ments and observations conducted there by Mr. Shaw, bearing on the 

 life history of the salmon in its early stages — are not at present in oper- 

 ation. Information has been sought, but not obtained, regarding the 

 artificial ponds which were at one time kept on the river Thurso; so 

 that it is not known whether these ponds are still used. The same re- 

 mark applies to the ponds which were, at one time, kept at Invershin, 

 Sutherlandshire, by Mr. Andrew Young, whose name ranks with those 

 of Shaw and Buist as a close observer of the early life history and mi- 

 grations of the salmon. The hatchery formerly kept at Rossdhu, Loch 

 Lomond, has, it is understood, fallen into disrepair, not having been used 

 for a good many years. The two ponds, however, still remain, and, as 

 boxes could be erected without much expense, this little establishment 

 might, with very little trouble, be resuscitated. At Ravenscraig Castle, 

 on the river Ugie, Aberdeenshire, a set of hatching boxes at one time was 

 maintained. It was considered, latterly, that the Ugie fishing was not 

 much benefited by the operations conducted. A hatching establishment 

 existed at Tongueland, on the river Dee, Kirkcudbrightshire, for some 

 eight or nine years prior to 1871, but, after the death of the then tenaut 

 of the fishings, Mr. John Gillone, it appears to have been allowed to 

 drop. His sons, however, it is understood, contemplate its revival. 

 The district board of the South Esk (Forfarshire) placed a few breed- 

 ing boxes on a tributary of that river a good many years ago, but 

 these apparently did not succeed and do not now exist. 



It is not pretended, however, that this reference to hatcheries and 

 ponds that have once been in operation, by any means includes all 

 that have existed in modern years in Scotland ; as it is believed that 

 many private individuals have, at different times, made experiments in 

 lish-culture on a larger or smaller scale. 



Edinburgh, Scotland, November 26, 1884. 



