CHAPTER XV. 



SEASON 1876-77. 

 CONSTRUCTION HOWIETOUN. 



THE hatching-house at Middlethird was no longer sufficient for 

 the growing wants of the Fishery, so I used the sarking of which 

 the fence round the first 20-feet plank ponds had been made to 

 build a hatching-house at Howietoun. This house was a little 

 larger than the one at Middlethird. and held four 7-feet hatching- 

 boxes on each end, and the five rearing-boxes that had done duty 

 in 1874-75 at Middlethird. 



The house was placed below three of the 20-feets, and beside the 

 fourth. One of the 20-feets was converted into a filter, and the 

 water from the 10 -inch pipe was used. The water in winter was 

 often very dirty ; and there were cattle in a field above, through 

 which the stream flowed ; the filter thus became of some import- 

 ance. It was formed by fitting two divisions of flooring length- 

 ways in the pond. These were held in their place by cross- 

 pieces, so arranged that the water passed over and under alter- 

 nately. The water thus had to pass three times the length of the 

 pond, or a distance of 60 feet, through gravel and road metal. 



The plug-hole in the pond was used to clean the filter ; but 

 it was found insufficient, and the only effectual plan was to 

 take out all the metal and gravel and wash it. Life would have 

 been too short if it had required washing offcener than once or 

 twice a season. The end of the 20-feet was closed by the insertion 

 of a plank, jointed with flannel, and a spout was fitted in this 

 plank to convey the water from the filter to the aqueduct supply- 

 ing the house. 



The main aqueduct was also tapped, and a 3 -inch lead pipe, 

 bent in the form of a segment of a circle, inserted in the side. The 

 mouth of the pipe was placed beyond the hole cut in the side of 



