248 APPENDIX. 



enough, and wHcli M. Coste so aptly terms " Pro 

 cedes de fecondation artiftcielle f' and I therefore 

 give the following directions, derived from my own 

 experience, and trust that they may be found to 

 be sufficiently explicit ; should they not, I shall 

 be glad to explain any difficulties the reader may 

 meet with, if he will communicate with me: My 

 experience extends only to trout, but the same rules 

 apply also to salmon. See Mr. Ashworth's book 

 for instructions as applied to these fish. 



1st. Have your hatching apparatus in perfect 

 order to receive the eggs, when you bring them 

 home from the river side. 



2nd. Be on the look-out for several weeks before- 

 hand for information where and when the fish will 

 be '^ at hill,'^ i.e., spawning on their natural beds 

 in the river, and be sure have proper tvritten autho- 

 rity from the owner of the fisheries to allow you to 

 proceed with your operations.* 



3rd. When you know the fish are " at hill," pro- 

 ceed to the river- side with the nets and a large 

 shallow tub or bucket, or other convenient vessel to 

 contain for a few minutes the fish as caught ; also 

 bring with you a vessel, such as a small washing- 

 tub, in which to impregnate the ova. It should be 

 flat-bottomed, to prevent the eggs being crowded 

 one upon the other ; and, also, do not forget the 

 bottles, tin (milk or fish bait) cans, in which you are 

 about to carry home the eggs. 



4th. When the fish are caught, examine them one 



* Trout spawn at different periods in different rivers, from 

 about September to February — the Wandle is the latest river 

 near London. Sahnon spawn in the winter months ; grayling, 

 generally speaking, at the end of April or beginning of May. 



