504 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



current of fresli air tbrougli it, which is done by means of a tube dipped 

 into the water of the vessel. 



Spring- and autnmu are the seasons most favorable for transporting 

 fish. In the summer they are sent by night, being carefal to keep the 

 water constantly in motion, even when a halt is made. During long 

 journeys the water in the vessels is renewed from time to time, and aii' 

 is introduced by means of bellows and a tin tube. 



8. — PISCICULTURAL ESTABLISHMENT AT NIKOLSKY. 



After having spoken of the technical part of pisciculture, we will 

 give a detailed description of the arrangement and work of one of 

 the largest establishments of this kind not only in Eussia but in 

 Europe. The work done at the establishment of Mkolsky will give us 

 a great deal of information and furnish many instructive examples. 

 This establishment is located almost on the boundary-line of the districts 

 of Demyansk and of Valdai, (province of Novogorod.) on the high-road, 

 77 versts (about 48 miles) from the Valdai station on the Nicholas 

 Kailroad. The highest elevation of the Alaoune Mountains is in the 

 districts of Valdai and Demyansk, and these districts are, therefore, 

 crossed in all directions by high hills. The valleys formed by these 

 hills inclose a large number of lakes, mostly fed by small and rapidly- 

 flowing streams. The water of the lakes is pure and cold. This locality, 

 as will be seen, combines many conditions favorable to pisciculture, 

 especially for the breeding of valuable species, such as the trout. M. 

 Vrasski, a rich land-owner of this province, has made use of these 

 favorable circumstances to found his establishment. After having 

 examined the work done in France by Remy and Gehin, and after 

 having studied the theoretical part of pisciculture, Mr. Vrasski, in the' 

 spring of 1854, made his first experiments on the spawn of eelpout and 

 "jaculus," and finally on that of the trout. The food of the hatched 

 fish presented the greatest difiiculties. Meat chopped fine, recommended 

 by some foreign pisciculturists, was unsuitable, and inconvenient in 

 various ways. The food of young trout during their first stage consists of 

 aquatic insects, and, from an inborn instinct, they did not seize the pieces 

 of meat except during their fall to the bottom, but never touched them 

 when motionless. The meat consequently began to decompose, changed 

 the character of the water, and the fish died. Mr. Vrasski then thought 

 of feeding the young trout with the insects which swarm in stagnant 

 water, and obtained favorable results. The trout produced by him in 

 1855 measured, two years later, 22 centimeters, and in some the milt 

 was matured. After a long series of experiments, Mr. Vrasski achieved 

 the most brilliant results in fecundating spawn, and his experiments 

 led hiui to the discovery of a new method. 



In order to fecundate eggs, it is necessary, as we have said above, that 

 the spermatozoids contained in the fecundating-liquid of the male fish 

 should penetrate into the eggs laid by the female. For this purpose it 



