An Angler's Paradise. 29 



The effect was remarkable, and as another gust came down 

 upon us, a second cloud proceeded on the same course as the 

 first. Examination proved that a haystack had migrated, and 

 the appearance of the fir plantation the next morning was as if 

 all the sparrows in the three kingdoms had built their nests in 

 it, while of the haystack only some two and a half feet of the 

 bottom part remained. Finding we were absolutely powerless 

 to cope with such a storm, and feeling sure it could not last 

 long, we went indoors, and by this time being fairly hungry, we 

 soon had a good meal prepared, after partaking of which we 

 drew to the fire and smoked the pipe of peace, while the storm 

 continued to howl on, the noise being at times almost deafening. 



The conversation naturally turned on storms, and several 

 memorable ones were discussed, but none of them would bear 

 comparison with the one that raged that night. I thoroughly 

 enjoyed it, but at the same time hope I shall never see such 

 another. By six a.m. the wind had moderated sufficiently for 

 us to get the spouting fixed, and the water was again turned 

 on to the hatchery. It had been cut off for five hours, and I 

 was rather afraid some of the ova would have suffered, but 

 everything went well, and I never could trace any ill effect to 

 this memorable night. In the morning several of the natives 

 kindly came some distance to render assistance, expecting to find 

 the " shanty " a heap of ruins, and I had a good laugh as one 

 of them seriously told me about this some time afterwards. 



The water is now, and has for some time been conveyed 

 in underground pipes, and the arrangements are most complete ; 

 no wind or frost having any influence on the regular flow into 

 the hatcheries. For many years all the spawning was done out 

 of doors, but now in bad weather a good deal is done in a 

 spawning house. This is conducive not only to the comfort of 

 the workers, but to the welfare of the ova, as a better impreg- 

 nation can be got by keeping wind and rain and sleet out of the 

 spawning dish, and everything as dry as possible. In addition 

 to this the days are very short in Scotland at spawning time, and 

 with a spawning house the work can go on all night when 

 necessary, without the slightest difficulty. 



The discovery in modern times in Europe, of the art of 



