454 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



from a female trout that had been twenty-four hours dead, and im- 

 pregnated with the milt of a male fully four days dead. These eggs 

 have now been in the tank for about three weeks, and are looking 

 healthy — the loss at present being only L} per cent. A large arrival 

 of Schoodic or landlocked salmon cfva is expected at the hatchery from 

 Washington, United States, and also a consignment of "Great Lake" 

 trout ova from the Seewiese fishery, Wurtzburg, Germany. 



(7) Marquis of Ailsa's hatchery. — This private hatchery is 

 situated at Culzean, in Ayrshire. It was commenced in 1876. In that 

 year a few boxes only were erected outside the vineries in the gardens 

 at Culzean castle, and put under the charge of the gardener. These 

 boxes held about 85,000 salmon ova, which did pretty well; also 2,000 

 char ; 2,000 S.fontinalis, and a quantity of common yellow trout. When 

 the wind was high, however, it was found difficult to attend properly 

 to the boxes outside owing to the rippling of the water — any bad eggs 

 being, from this cause, not easily seen. In the following year, therefore, 

 the boxes were fitted up anew in the peach house on a much larger 

 scale. They are now capable of hatching out 250,000 salmon ova yearly. 

 The ova is got from the Doon, Stiuchar, and Miunock — the fish being 

 artificially spawned when netted — and the fertilized ova thereafter con- 

 veyed in cans to the hatchery, a distance of 25 or 30 miles. For the 

 last six years there have also been annually hatched 10,000 Rhine sal- 

 mon. In addition, char, S.fontinalis, and Loch Leven trout, have been 

 hatched annually, and introduced into the hill lochs on the property. 

 The eggs are hatched on gravel, with a constant supply of pure water 

 flowing through the boxes ; and very satisfactory results have been 

 obtained. The fry are turned out into the river Doon immediately on 

 absorption of the uinbilical sac, being conveyed in cans a distance of 

 10 miles from the hatchery, and put into the river about 8 miles from 

 the sea. In two seasous, when ova was plentiful, over 300,000 ova were 

 hatched. There are ponds in which the fry were at first kept till they 

 were a year old, but these have been abandoned, as it has been found 

 that the present practice of putting the fry out when the sac is absorbed 

 is equally satisfactory. Mr. Young, the inspector of Scotch salmon 

 fisheries, says in his second report, in which the Ayrshire salmon rivers 

 are described : " Thanks to the enlightened liberality of the Marquis of 

 Ailsa, the number of fish in the river Doon has been greatly increased 

 by means of artificial stocking." 



(8) Benmore hatchery, Kllmun, Argyllshire.— This hatchery 

 was constructed by Mr. James Duncan, of Benmore and Kilmuu, in 1874, 

 after the plan of Stormontfiekl, for the purpose of stocking the river 

 Echaig with a larger class of salmon. The results were very marked, 

 not only in the greater number, but in the increased weight of the fish 

 caught. Prior to the introduction of the hatching boxes, the grilse 

 caught weighed about 3£ pounds — rarely exceediug 5 pounds, while 

 salmon weighed about 7 pounds. After the introduction of the boxes, 



