Atkins. — Atlantic Salmon in Fresh Water 137 



favorable result that the experiment was tried of retaining 

 salmon in fresh-water ponds for several years after their 

 first spawning. In November, 1908, some salmon of both 

 sexes were after spawning transferred to one of the artificial 

 ponds at Craig Brook, and 8 of them were retained for this 

 experiment. Three of these fish died in June, 1909. and 

 one more in September. The remaining four lived through 

 to the spawning season of 1910. For the first 10 or 11 

 months of their stay in the pond they refused to eat any- 

 thing, though often offered small herring and other food. 

 In the fall of 1909, however, they began to eat and showed 

 good appetites, eating through the winter. When the spring 

 of 1910 opened they began to eat ravenously and continued 

 to do so until about July 1. when their appetites began to 

 fail, and in a few days they wholly ceased to eat. The food 

 taken had evidently improved their condition, and they came 

 to the spawning season of 1910 in as good condition (ex- 

 cepting one fish) as is usual with salmon that have been con- 

 fined a single summer. There were found to be two males 

 and two females. On November 2 they were subjected to 

 the usual process of artificial spawning. Both of the males 

 were found to be in normal condition, yielding milt as usual. 

 One of the females was sickly and gave inferior eggs which 

 never hatched. The other female appeared to be in normal 

 condition in every respect; her weight was fully up to the 

 average for salmon of her length (32 inches) and her eggs 

 were of prime quality, for they developed as usual and 

 hatched a normal proportion of fry which have thrived 

 through the first summer fully as well as any others. After 

 spawning, the two males and the best of the females con- 

 tinued to live, ate nothing for several months, recovered 

 their appetites in April and May, eating well until about 

 the middle of July, when they ceased eating, and have con- 

 tinued to abstain from all food until the present writing, 

 September 28, 1911, without showing any unfavorable 

 result. 



