256 On Msh- Culture. 



high price and scarcity are at present unable to obtain it, an article 

 of food, admitting of endless variety and suitable to every palate. 

 Amongst the multitude of fish which the pisciculturist produces, 

 it is not unusual to find a small minority which deviates in some 

 respects from the standard of perfect symmetry. Thus, two will 

 be joined together throughout their whole length, like the Siamese 

 twins, or, and we have had a specimen of this deformity in our own 

 boxes, two heads will spring from one body, or, and this we noticed 

 in several instances, the body of the fish will describe a circle like 

 a ring. These last have very little power of locomotion, their 

 movements being limited to a perpendicular ascent in the water, 

 with a rapid rotatory motion. It was mentioned above that the 

 period of incubation was for salmon 130 days ; for trout 60 days. 

 That is the average time. But, in point of fact, it is the temper- 

 ature of the water which determines the time at which the eggs 

 hatch out. Salmon-ova, under a high temperature, have produced 

 fish in as short a space of time as 30 days. From 40° to 45° 

 Fahrenheit, is the best temperature for the water in which the eggs 

 are placed. It has been observed that those fish which take the 

 longest time to hatch are always the stronger fish of the two. 

 There is a circumstance connected with the artificial production of 

 grayling which does not apply to any other fresh- water fish, as far 

 as present experiments carry us. It is this ; that its body is visible 

 in the egg 9 days from impregnation, and it will actually hatch in 

 14 days. 



But how interesting soever the pursuit of Fish-Culture may be, 

 the first question that offers itself to the consideration of those 

 who intend to practise it as an art, is this ; what will it cost ? One 

 or two facts only need be mentioned in reply. In one year Mr. 

 Buist hatched 827,000 salmon-ova at Stormontfield, for the sum of 

 £48. And more marvellous still, Mr. Ashworth placed 770,000 

 eo-gs in his hatching-boxes at Galway, besides distributing spawning 

 fish in certain rivers previously barren, for £14. The expenses 

 connected with our own experiments on 6000 trout-eggs, may be 

 reckoned at £2 2s. The cost then amounts to very little. 1 do 

 not fear to be accused of wasting your valuable time, if I 



