82 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



that direction, and expressed full confidence in the practicability of 

 hatching and rearing oysters abundantly and profitably. Ten thousand 

 fish about three weeks old were on exhibition by Constantine Muszynski, 

 of St. Petersburg, Russia, which had been transported from there in a 

 large glass bottle of his invention, with concave sides, without the loss 

 of more than a dozen of the fry, and in excellent condition. A live sea 

 anemone, Actinia mesenbryanthemum, was exhibited, which was taken 

 from the east coast of Scotland in 1828, and has ever since been kept 

 in the jar in which it was shown. It was at that time thought to be at 

 least 7 years old. During a period of 20 years it produced 334 young. 

 In 1851, after being unproductive for many years, it gave birth, in a 

 single night, to 240 young, and last February it gave birth to 7 more, 

 of which 3 were exhibited with it. It is kept in sea water, and is 

 fed once a month with half of a live mnsser, and on the following 

 day the water is changed. A number of models of salmon ladders and 

 fish passes were exhibited, those built around high falls in a river in 

 Norway showing the greatest skill in overcoming natural obstacles. 



The purification of the water, which, after use in factories, is returned 

 to the streams in a condition fatal to fish, is a subject of great importance 

 in connection with the preservation of the salmon and trout of this 

 country. There were models of apparatus and samples of water exhib- 

 ited showing the success that had been attained at several places in 

 England and Scotland in separating the impurities in a condition suit- 

 able for reuse or merchantable for manure, and returning the water to 

 the streams purified. The Native Guano Company exhibited living 

 fish surviving in water from the factories of Aylesbury, England, which 

 had been purified by this process. An exhibition of Balmain's luminous 

 paint attracted a great deal of attention. The paint, which in the light 

 looks like common white paint, has the peculiar quality of emitting a 

 pale light (phosphorescent in appearance, though said to contain no 

 phosphorus) when shown in a dark chamber, and it is claimed thai ves- 

 sels, buoys, or other objects painted with it may be plainly distinguished 

 at a distance in the dark. A machine for fish-cleaning, the invention 

 of John Ross, of Stonehaven, Scotland, was exhibited. It is claimed 

 that by its use five girls can clean a hundred score of haddocks in three 

 hours, and that the fish are less liable to be injured than by hand-clean- 

 ing. It consists of a series of stiff brushes, revolving on a cylinder. 

 Among the nets, Thomas Davidson, of Aberdeen, Scotland, exhibited 

 one called the jackal net, a long, narrow net, by dropping which from a 

 boat it is claimed that it may be seen whether there are any herring 

 under the boat and at what depth. 



The exhibition was not only interesting as a collection of a great 

 variety of articles well worth seeing, but there can be no doubt that it 

 has well subserved the main object of its projectors, that of directing 

 attention to the extent ami importance of the fishing interest, which con- 

 stitutes one of the; most valuable industries of the country. 



United States Consulate, Leith, May 18, 1882. 



