FISH-CULTURE. 251 



sell 19,000 eyed ova and fry, yielding a revenue of 42, and 

 to deposit in the streams running into the loch about 95,000 fry ; 

 and the cordial thanks of the Directors and of the Association are 

 again due to him." 



Unfortunately, the lake reaped only half the benefit it should 

 have got, as, owing to some of the consignments of fry being, in 

 my absence, too much crowded in the carrying-tanks, a large 

 number were lost en route, and I doubt if more than 45,000 effec- 

 tive fry were turned into the streams running into the loch. 



35,000 fry were retained at the Fishery, which makes the loss 

 during hatching and rearing the fry till they were turned out 

 about 20,000 out of 150,000, or 13'33 per cent. The loss on the 

 young eggs of my own trout (S. levenensis) was very great ; only 

 some 5000 survived to be placed in the lower 20 -feet in summer, 

 or a loss of 68'75 per cent. All subsequent experience has con- 

 firmed this experiment, and I am now convinced of the folly of 

 breeding from young fish. These trout were well grown, as on 

 the 7th March one (hatched 1875) jumped out of the pond. Some 

 animal ate the tail half, and the remainder weighed over 1 Ib. 

 Another jumped out on the 7th July, and measured 14 '6 inches, 

 and weighed 1 Ib. 5 oz. The average of the large trout netted in 

 Loch Leven in 1878 was 1'755 Ibs. Size, therefore, does not neces- 

 sarily imply maturity for breeding purposes, and the idea that 

 the development of ova implies it, must be abandoned at least 

 as regards Salmo. 



On the 1st July I counted the S. levenensis (hatched 1875) in 

 the west 130-feet pond, and found 1776 remaining, a loss of 224 

 since they were counted in last November. But the pond was so 

 near the fence, it could be easily fished, and, from information 

 received, most of these must have been stolen. I took certain 

 personal steps in the matter with a heavy six-shooter, and have 

 had no reason to suspect any loss from theft since. 



On next page is the table of stock at the end of the year. 



