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PISCICULTURE IN HEREFORDSHIRE. 



By Messes. LLOYD and SYMONDS, 



Mr. Lloyd, of Huntington Coui-t, and Mr. J. F. Symonds, then handed 

 round several glass bowls containing numerous specimens of Salmonidce wliich 

 they had artificially reared. Mr. &ymonds's specimens consisted of Rhine salmon, 

 Wye sahnon (Salmo salar). Great Lake trout (SalnM ferox, or Truite grande 

 des Lacs), Salmon-trout, Omhre Chevalier (Salmo umhra), a species of greyling, 

 and some common brown or brook trout (Salmo fario). Most of them were four 

 or six weeks old, but some were only just hatched. INIr. Symonds also produced 

 a glass bowl containing about two dozen brook trout of last year's hatching, from 

 eggs obtained at Kentchurch, and very beautifully marked little fish these were. 

 They had been kept through the year in a spi-ing at Broomy-hill. They were 

 very lively and active at first, but a couple of hours' confinement in such close 

 quarters showed they had exhausted the oxygen from the water, and required 

 aerating with an Indian-rubber tube to keep them alive. They were given to the 

 President, and despatched to Harewood the same evening. 



Mr. Lloyd also exhibited salmon ova from his trough, 90 days old, which 

 were on the point of being hatched out, the dark specks of the eyes were plainly 

 visible, and in the centre the blood vessels, together with a faint line running 

 nearly round the egg, the body of the future salmon. In another bowl were 

 tiny salmon just hatched out, and only six days old, and it was amusing to 

 see these little fellows dragging about the huge bags attached to theu- stomachs. 

 It was here remarked, how beautifully nature had provided for the safety and 

 sustenance of these little fish. The large and prominent eyes are the first 

 organs developed, and are perfectly formed and in working order on the instant 

 of the young fish bursting the egg-shell ; with the umbilical vessel which pro- 

 vides the nourishment requisite for the first six weeks of the fishes' helpless 

 existence ; so that they have little to do but to find their way to the shelter of 

 some large gi-avel stone, or other pix>jection at the bottom of a stream, to avoid 

 discovery by their scores of devouring enemies of fish, birds, and even insects, 

 all other wants being supplied till the umbUical sac is absorbed in the system of 

 the fish. Then they can freely dart off down the stream, well able to seek 

 their own food and to protect themselves in rapid flight. 



Mr. Lloyd also produced several Great Lake Trout in which the umbilical 

 sac was nearly gone. These he mentioned were from ova presented to Dr. Bull 

 by Mr. Frank Buckland, on the 5th of Februai-y last. The eyes were then well 

 developed, and they hatched out in about three weeks. 



Mr. Lloyd, having been caUed upon by the President, in the course of 

 his remarks stated that nearly all he knew in artificial pisciculture he had learnt 

 from his friend Mr. Symonds, who had had a long experience. The salmon 



