The German Mine at Torbeckhill. 16'J 



that was drawn against the Pretender." This took place about 

 the end of July, 1715. Mr Bell of Torbeckhill has kindly allowed 

 nie to exhibit the sword of the Minsca Jacobite, his great-great- 

 grandfather, and also another old sword found in a cre\ice of a 

 quarry at Torbeckhill a few weeks ago. 



The first is a gentleman's dress rapier, the hilt furnished 

 with shell, quillon, pas-d'ane, and knuckle-bow; the blade 

 double-edged, 2 feet 5 inches in length, | inch in breadth, 1 inch 

 from the hilt, and tapering to a point. The blade is marked with 

 .saucer-like sinkings on both sides about ^ inch in diameter in 

 two rows, not opposite, but alternating so as to produce a wavy 

 line along the centre of the blade. Writing appears on both 

 sides of the blade, but it is not sufficiently distinct to be decipher- 

 able. 



The other sword, which is entirely encrusted in rust, is a 

 double-edged broad-sword. The blade is 1 foot 7^ inches in 

 length, but possibly reduced by corrosion, and 2^ inches in 

 breadth. The knob at the end of the hilt is in the form of a 

 crown, on one side of which is a slightly raised line forming a 

 circle g inch diameter enclosing some indefinite marking. 



2nd Februai-y, 1912. 



Chairman — Mr G. Macleod Stewart. 



The Development of Modern Fish Culture, with Special 

 Reference to the Salmonid^. By Mr Wilson H. 

 Armistead. 



Though fish culture cannot claim the antiquity of agriculture, 

 there are records which show that it was practised by the ancients, 

 and in a crude way there has always been an attempt to cultivate 

 and even domesticate trout in this country ever since the Church 

 of Rome first built monasteries in England. The remains of 

 some of the fish ponds attached to these buildings show that the 

 monks had a considerable knowledge of fishery management, but 

 it is also evident that they did not concentrate their energies upon 

 trout and salmon, but preferred those fish which to-day have 

 practically no value in the food market, such as carp, tench, 



