456 ME. F. DAY ON THE BEEEDING OF SALMON FEOM PAEENTS 



was no doubt, since the lake, the formation of which, though commenced in the autumn 

 of 1835, was not finished till February 1836, soon after which the first Pinks were put in." 

 Before detailing the experiments I would wish to draw especial attention to the 

 necessity of complete segregation of the fishes experimented upon, and the produce 

 reared. Crowding many forms into one tank, and from this crowd selecting various 

 varieties or so-called species simply from their appearance, and hybridizing from them, 

 is likely to occasion irreparable errors and do more injury to investigation than if the 

 subject were left quite alone. 



I do not propose giving a detailed account of the Eowietoun ponds, how care is taken 

 that no one can have unauthorized access there, nor how the segregation carried on is 

 most complete, as I have reason to believe that a distinct paper on this interesting 

 subject may l>e expected, the contents of which I should not wish to anticipate. 



In December 1880, Sir J. II. Gibson-Maitland, F.L.S., obtained some Salmon in the Teith, 

 from which he procured eggs and milt, and they hatched at llowietoun in March 1881. 

 In due course these young fish were transferred to pond no. 7 at llowietoun, which has 

 its sides and bottom lined with wood, is 100x15 feet in surface extent, 8 feet deep in 

 the centre and (>l at either side, while the average supply passing through it is a 

 million and a half gallons of water a day. 



In July ]883, in the presence of the foreign and other Commissioners to the Great 

 International Fisheries Exhibition, this pond was netted, when it was seen that some of 

 the Salmon-fry, then 2 years and I months old. were of a general golden colour, spotted, 

 and in the banded parr-stage livery, while others were beautiful silvery smolts, similar 

 to such as w^e generally find descending to the salt water, and in which, in certain lights, 

 parr-bauds were visible. Although, as a rule, the smolts were the largest, still some few 

 of the parrs exceeded smolts in size. All present were convinced that these fish were 

 the young of the Salmon, and in excellent condition. 



October 10, 1883. One of these fish under a pound in weight, in the smolt livery and 

 showing parr-bands in certain lights, jumped out of the pond and was found dead on 

 the path. On being opened it proved to be a female with comparatively large ova, 

 which were of a deep reddish colour, thus almost disposing of the statement already 

 alluded to that "no parr has ever been found with mature ova." I say "almost," 

 because as yet the ova were not quite mature, although they would have become so had 

 not the fish met with an untimely fate ; also the objection might be raised that it was a 

 smolt, not a parr. Now although the parr-bands were present certainly the golden tinge 

 -ecu in the young of the Salmon was absent. Up to the end of November 1883 several 

 of these fish, during the night or early morning, had jumped out of the pond, and it was 

 surmised that some might have been carried off by vermin, as birds or rats, in the early 

 hours. On the 29th two more, one being Hi inches in length, were found dead, and 

 some vermin had devoured the lower part of its head. It was of a silvery smolt colour 

 with parr-hands. On being opened it proved to be a male full of ripe milt *. A net 

 having been put into the pond three fish were examined. The first was a silvery smolt, 



* For descriptions of the specimens see Proc. Zool. Soc. 1884. p. 2\. 



