12 HISTORY OF HOWIETOUN. 



to be hatched, and under what conditions they can be grown. 

 The questions in trout-culture are now precisely the same as those 

 which demand solution in breeding cattle, namely, how to breed 

 so as to produce the most desirable and suitable characteristics 

 for the district where they are to be reared. 



The Howietoun Fishery has proved that age and selection 

 are two great factors in varying the characteristics of trout, and 

 with a little skill and knowledge this can be done to adapt 

 them to almost every situation. But by greater steps the suc- 

 cessful transportation of ova has advanced, especially to the 

 Antipodes. For several seasons the Howietoun Fishery has 

 forwarded successfully consignments of salmon and trout ova, and 

 the result obtained by the machine-packing designed by myself 

 has been most satisfactory ; so long as the eggs themselves are not 

 disturbed on board ship, and ordinary attention given to the ice 

 in the ice-tray and ice- chamber, they incur no more risk during 

 the voyage than in the hatching-house, only, of course, the same 

 vitality cannot be developed in the embryo. Nicols, in his 

 Acclimatisation of the Salmonidce at the Antipodes, gives a list of 

 the shipments made by Youl, as under I- 

 SHIPMENTS OF SALMON, SALMON TROUT, AND BROWN TROUT OVA, 

 MADE BY ME. JAMES A. YOUL TO THE ANTIPODES. 



1. February 1860. By Sarah Curling, from Liverpool to Melbourne. Salmon 



ova, 25,000. 



2. March 4, 1862. By Beautiful Star, from London to Hobart Town. Salmon 



ova, 80,000. 



3. January 21, 1864. By Norfolk, from London to Melbourne and Tasmania. 



Salmon ova, 118,000. Present from Admiral Keppel, through Mr. Frank 

 Buckland, brown trout ova, 1,200. Present from Mr. Francis Francis, 

 brown trout ova, 1,500. 



4. January 20, 1866. By Lincolnshire, from London to Melbourne and Tasmania. 



Salmon ova, 93,000 ; salmon trout ova, 15,000 ; brown trout ova, 500. 



5. January 1868. By Celestial Queen, from London to Otago, New Zealand. 



Salmon ova, 120,000; salmon trout ova, 4000. From Bavaria, Salmo 

 umbla ova, 9000. Present from Lord Essex, through Mr. Frank Buckland, 

 brook trout ova, 1500. 



6. January 1869. By Mindora, from London to Otago, New Zealand. Salmon 



ova, 110,000 ; taken by Mr. Frank Buckland, salmon trout ova, 5000. 



