46 



shows how easily this large fish may be availed of for the purpose of 

 culture." 



I have purposely omitted mention until now of the salmon of Wil- 

 mot's creek, Ontario. It is conjectured that this fish is a fresh-water 

 sahnon, and, if so, it stands at the head of the so-called land-locked 

 salmon. There is no real obstacle, except the distance of 1,500 miles, 

 to prevent this fish from making the annual migration of its species 

 to the sea; but some naturalists who have observed its movements 

 believe that it winters in Lake Ontario. It is my own opinion that 

 it does migrate. Experiments have been made by marking fish and 

 otherwise to ascertain if this be the fact, however, and it will pro- 

 bably soon be demonstrated. Mr. Wilmot's success in the artificial 

 culture of these salmon is one of the greatest triumphs of the science 

 of fish cuHure, and, together with the peculiarly questionable habits 

 of the fish, has attracted the attention of the world. 



-TKOUT CULTUKE. 



A paper read before the American Fish Culturists' Association, at its first annual 

 meeting, held at Albany, February 7th and 8th, 1873, by LiviNasTON Stone. 



The salmo fontinalis, or American brook trout, seems to be espe- 

 cially adapted to artificial cultivation. Trout become very tame when 

 domesticated. They can be kept the year round on a simple diet oi 

 raw meat, and they thrive on it. They can be confined in large num- 

 bers in a small space ; they are easily manipulated ; their eggs are 

 hardy and can be transported over great distances with safety. The 

 grown-up fish are themselves very hardy, in suitable water, and the 

 per centage of mortality, under good treatment, is exceedingly small. 

 They are also a beautiful and very interesting fish, in all their habits 

 and movements. They are the favorite with anglers, and command 

 a very high price when grown for the market. 



These qualities give trout a special adaptation, above all other fish, 

 to artificial breeding and domestic cultivation, and have made them 

 the favorite with all who have engaged in fish culture, with facilities 

 for growing them. 



The art of practical trout culture has, however, a very brief history. 

 It is true that fish culture has been practiced, from time immemorial, 

 by the southern Asiatics ; that it was common among the Romans 

 before the Christian era ; that fisii eggs were artificially impregnated 

 and hatched by a monk in the middle ages. It is also true that a 

 German army oflicer hatched sahnon and trout about the middle of 

 the eighteenth century, that experiments of a similar character were 



