TRANSACTIONS. 143 
sheet of water. Next year 22,000 were turned in; in 1877—- 
70,000; in 1878—45,000, Then a disagreement arose, and the 
hatching was given up for three years, In 1882, 50,000 fry were 
turned in. Next year, again, nothing was done. What were the 
results ? Before 1875 the yields were gradually getting less. Loch 
Leven was a favourite resort of anglers, and heavily fished ; and 
the fishing had been getting worse and worse year by year until 
1875, when the catch fell to 5093 in number, and in weight to 
5668 lbs. ; so that the fish averaged a little over a pound. In 
1876 only 3086 were reported to be taken, and the weight was 
3370 Ibs. In 1877 the catch jumped up to 6092, but the weight 
was only 5385 lbs., being an average of less than a pound. Of 
course allowance must be made for atmospheric influences ; and it 
might be that 1876 was an unfavourable year ; but the catch of 
1877 was a good deal larger even than that of 1875. The fry of 
1875 had not had time to grow to any size. They would not 
average, probably, more than a quarter of a pound ; and it was 
probably a number of these which swelled the take, but reduced 
the average weight. In 1878 the catch was doubled, being 13,319 ; 
and again the weight was less in proportion, being only 8919 lbs. 
In 1879, 21,045 fish were taken, and the weight was 16,192 lbs. 
Four times as many fish were taken from the loch than was the 
case before the stocking began. In 1880 the number taken was 
19,405 ; weight, 18,552 Ibs. In 1881 there was a marked falling 
off—from 19,000 to 16,000 ; and the next year only 9000 were 
taken. That was the result of giving up fish culture. In 1882 a 
spurt was made, and 50,000 fry were turned in. This addition 
could not tell on the year 1883 ; but they had that year a great 
jump, from 9000 to 14,000. This was accounted for by the fact 
that the conservators of the loch, finding they had neglected their 
business, tried to atone for the error by turning in 3000 two-year- 
old fish. The average weight that year again approached a. pound 
—12,742 lbs. for 16,062 fish. This table shewed clearly the benefit 
accruing from fish culture when properly carried on, and how a 
fishery suffered from neglect of it. In our salmon rivers, where 
fishing was carried on year by year, by methods which were being 
‘continually improved and rendered more destructive, the stock of 
fish must be constantly diminished, unless Ash culture were resorted 
to or we had a very much longer close time. Another benefit 
which arose from the cultivation of trout was that we could grow 
or produce very much larger fish than were produced naturally. 
