MR. COOPER'S EXPERIMENT AT BALLISODARE. 259 



it. It was therefore found necessary to turn it, so as to 

 bring the embouchure of the ladder close to the foot of 

 the falls. A few pairs of fish had always been in the habit 

 of entering the river and running up to the lower falls, and 

 the plan adopted to stock the river was that of catching the 

 fish and placing them in the river above the falls, so that 

 they might spawn in the river. After sundry failures, the 

 ladders being completed and several fish being put up 

 above the falls, and a small portion of ova deposited in the 

 river, a large quantity of salmon-fry was observed to be in 

 the river. These, at the usual time, became smolts and 

 disappeared. This was about April, 1857. On June 26th 

 the first grilse was observed at the fall ; by July they 

 were plentiful, and so continued till the end of the season. 

 The river was not fished in 1857. 



I had much more and interesting particulars from Mr. 

 Cooper in reference to this fishery, but cannot find space 

 for it here. The account was fully given in the Field in 

 December, 1858, and from that paper I extract the fol- 

 lowing table, showing how completely the experiment 

 succeeded. The table was kept by an agent whom Mr. 

 Cooper appointed : 



" ' 1857. August 24. Saw several salmon in the hole 

 under the fall of Collooney. 



"'September 24. The river between Ballisodare and 

 Collooney is now well stocked, salmon being visible in 

 almost every deep hole, and a number being congregated 

 between Collooney Bridge and the hole under the faD. 



" ' October 3. A flood being in the Owenmore, I shut 

 the water off the Collooney ladder to see if there were any 

 s 2 



