THE ETIVE 369 



channel cut along the face of the slope in a direction parallel 

 to the main river, and so formed as to provide spawning ground 

 for fish which enter the loch. A hatchery is also established 

 in order to artificially increase the stock of salmon. 



The Etive is one of those West Highland streams in which 

 much spawning ground may at any time in winter be washed 

 away by floods, and in addition to this, as already explained, 

 a considerable proportion of the river bed is rocky, this being 

 especially the case in the upper reaches where salmon most 

 congregate and a good many salmon apparently do congregate 

 there in the close season. The effort at improvement of stock 

 is, therefore, directed to hatching and rearing salmon arti- 

 ficially, and to the providing of extra spawning ground of a 

 semi-artificial kind. 



The sea-trout, which are in great numbers in the river, have 

 greater security from floods through their habit of ascending 

 small and often rather broken side streams, and spawning in 

 these. Salmon, on the other hand, are entirely restricted 

 naturally to the main liver below Dalness. As a result of this, 

 and also since apparently very many sea-trout spawn before 

 the salmon do, so that great numbers of sea-trout fry are 

 feeding before the salmon fry are hatched, the young of the 

 more valuable species have to enter into rather serious com- 

 petition with their more advanced fellows. 



As an additional sanctuary for salmon fry a small loch or 

 pond close to Glen Etive House is requisitioned as a rearing 

 place. The result of these operations has been most interesting 

 and has in fact furnished what I think may be regarded as the 

 one thoroughly authenticated proof of benefit from artificial 

 hatching. In the spring of 1909 fully 40, COO salmon fry were 

 turned into the loch. In 1910, 1,000 reared yearling were 

 turned in, having been marked by the complete removal of the 

 adipose fin. From 1906, when the loch was made, down to 

 1912 careful watch was kept, but no salmon or grilse was ever 

 seen in either the loch or the stream flowing from it. But in 

 the spawning season of 1912, 11 fish were taken in the main 

 feeder of the loch. They were all grilse, and one of them had 

 no adipose fin. Their age corresponded exactly with the fry 

 of 1909 and the yearlings of 1910. 



During 1913, 7 fish were taken in the loch. Three were 



