82 SALMON AND PISCICULTURE. 



ber 1 The heart of the Conservator of the Tay fishings 

 was gladdened by the hope we held out to him that his 

 fishy progeny would be equally sure to return within 

 reach of his murderous devices ! We rejoice that it 

 has been fulfilled, as we learn from the " statistics of 

 the Stormontfield Pond," with which he has obligingly 

 furnished us. The following are the principal facts : 

 " 1st, Of the marked fish liberated from the pond, 

 four per cent were recaptured either as grilse or salmon. 

 2d, More than 300,000 were artificially reared and libe- 

 rated ; forty out of every thousand were recaptured ; 

 and as 300,000 were liberated, it follows that 12,000 

 of the salmon taken in the Tay were pond-bred fish. 

 3d, The average annual capture of Tay salmon and 

 grilse is 70,000. This is rather better than the * Quar- 

 terly's' dismal prognostic of the millionth part of a 

 chance ! The rental of the Tay fishings has risen ten 

 per cent ! 



Bearing in mind that the fishings at Stormontfield 

 were for a year kept from the dangers which, doubtless, 

 far more than decimated their contemporaries in the 

 open river, and that during all this time they were 

 receiving abundant supplies from the careful hands of 

 " Peter of the Pools," it is not surprising that we should 

 have to record results so satisfactory. And that the 

 increase in the produce of the Tay fishings is rightly 

 attributed to pisciculture seems to be proved. There 

 has been no similar increase in the produce of any 

 other Scottish river. The salmon-fishing last year was 

 deficient universally, with the exception of the Tay. 



We have, therefore, the utmost reason to regard 

 pisciculture as a certain method of speedily replenishing 

 our, alas ! too many almost fishless rivers. 



A friend of ours returning from India forthwith re- 

 paired to his native stream, to renew, as he fondly 

 hoped, the piscatorial exploits of his youth. He toiled 

 all day, but caught nothing save a cruel pain in the 

 back. Good, however, comes out of evil. Disgusted, 



