SALMON. O 



ova. The fish wore then, at one instant, both enclosed in 

 the hoop, and allowed to find their way into the bag of the 

 net by the aid of the stream. Having drawn them ashore, 

 tlie tcniale, while still alive, was placed in the trench, and a 

 quantity of the ova pressed from her body. The male was 

 then placed in the same situation, and a quantity of the milt 

 being pressed from his body, passed down the stream, and 

 thoroughly impregnated the ova. The spawn was then 

 transferred to the basin, and deposited in the stream of the 

 feeder to the first pond. The temperature of the stream was 

 40 deg., and that of the river from which the Salmon were 

 taken 36 deg. The skins of the parent Salmon were pre- 

 served and exhibited, that no doubt as to the species might 

 be entertained. The weight of the male when taken was six- 

 teen pounds, and that of the female eiglit pounds." 



Without following Mr. Shaw through the details on this, 

 as on three or four other occasions, it may be sufficient to 

 state, that the young fish ruptures the external capsule of the 

 ovum, or may be said to be hatched in about 



114 days when the temperature of the water is 36° 

 101 ,, „ ,, „ 43° 



90 ,, ,, ,, ,, 45° 



When first emerging from the membrane within which the 

 young fish has been enclosed, the remains of the yolk or 

 vitelline portion of the ovum is still attached by its own 

 capsule to the abdomen of the fish as represented in the 

 figure No. 1, which is taken from a specimen given me some 

 years ago by Sir William Jardine. The remains of the yolk 

 supplies nourishment to the young fish till it is able to take 

 food by the mouth. Mr. Shaw has ascertained that the yolk 

 is absorbed in twenty-seven days. At the end of two months 

 the young fish is one inch and one quarter long, and the 

 figure No. 2 is from Mr. Shaw's representation. At the end 

 of four months the young fish measures two inches and a half 



b2 



