FISH CULTURE AT WALKER WOOD RESERVOIR. 177 
Some years ago I induced the Waterworks Committee to allow 
the introduction of breeding for these reservoirs in order to increase 
the number of fish, not only to find sport for the people of the 
district who delight in angling, and who sometimes go a great 
distance to enjoy a day’s fishing, but also to improve the quality 
of the water by keeping down the excess of insect life that was 
becoming troublesome and unpleasant by entering the supply pipes, 
and making its appearance in the water used for drinking purposes. 
I went to Westmoreland and brought a quantity of red or 
Windermere char, and placed them in the reservoir below the 
keeper’s house. These fish were supposed to be peculiar to Winder- 
mere, but they have thriven very well here, and gentlemen who have 
caught them say that they are now finer than those of Windermere. 
Of course they will not succeed in every water; some judgment 
is required as to the special kinds of the salmon tribe that will 
succeed in any particular water; for though they all belong to one 
family they differ very much in constitution and the kinds of food 
they require, just as the sheep on these hills would become 
diseased in the summer on rich pasture land; or, if Leicester or 
Southdowns were brought up here to stand the winter. 
At my request, the committee have agreed to order for their 
extensive reservoir at Greenfield a quantity of Loch Leven trout, 
which grow to a large size in a very short time; also Windermere 
char and Welsh char, with a few American trout. For the Knott 
Hill reservoir, in which there are a large number of cray fish, a 
quantity of Gilleroo trout have been ordered. ‘This trout is 
peculiar to some of the Irish lakes, and its natural food consists 
of cray fish, so that we may expect the Gilleroo to thrive there. 
They have also ordered for the same reservoir both kinds of char. 
Altogether the committee have bought 9,000 young fish, so that 
in a few years, when they have come to maturity, the anglers in 
the neighbourhood may expect to have some good sport. With 
respect to breeding fish the matter is very simple when understood. 
All that is wanted is a never-failing supply of pure water, and by 
the construction of a small tank a few stock fish may be kept, and 
a supply of young fry hatched every season. All the ponds and 
streams in the neighbourhood may be kept supplied with fish at a 
trifling expense. The French government, over twenty years ago, 
erected a fish breeding establishment in Alsace and Lorraine, and 
were very successful in restocking the French waters with fish. 
In the late Franco-German war these provinces became part of 
Germany, and the Germans still carry on the system of fish 
culture. A supply can be there obtained, at a nominal cost, of. 
any kind of fish it is worth while to cultivate. 
In Roman Catholic countries more importance is attached to 
the supply of fish than with us; but a large addition could be made 
