24 WHITEBAIT IN THE FIRTH OF FORTH. kiiAi-. i. 



water into the frying-pan, it would be a decided advantage to 



those dining upon it, for if kept even for a few hours these 



fish become greatly deteriorated, and as a consequence, require 



all the more cooking to bring the flavour up to the proper 



pitch of gastronomic excellence. Perhaps, as all fish are 



chameleon-like in reflecting not only the colour of their abode, 



but what they feed on as well, the supposed fine flavour 



of whitebait, so far as it is not conferred upon that fish by 



the cook, may arise from matter held in solution in the 



Thames water, and so the result from the corrupt source 



of the supply may be a quicker than ordinary decay. The 



waters of the Forth at the whitebait ground a little way above 



Inchgarvie, where the sprat-fishing is usually carried on, of 



which I ha.ve given a slight sketch are clean and clear, and 



the whitebait taken there are in consequence slightly different 



in colour, and greatly so in taste, from those obtained in the 



Thames ; in fact, all kinds of fish, including salmon, are able 



to live and thrive in the Firth of Forth. It is long since the 



refined salmon forsook the Thames, but then salmon are very 



delicate in their feeding, and at once take on the surrounding 



flavour, whatever that may be. Creditable attempts are now 



being made to re-stock the Thames, especially the upper waters, 



with more valuable fish than are at present contained in that 



river, but whether these attempts will be successful yet remains 



to be seen. I have been watching with great interest what is 



being done by Mr. Frank Buckland and others ; but salmon 



I fear cannot at present live in the Thames. To thrive 



successfully, that fish must have access to the sea, and how a 



salmon can ever penetrate to the salt water with the river 



in its present state is a problem that must be left for future 



solution ; however, as Mr. Frank Buckland very truthfully 



remarks, if the salmon are not first sent down the Thames 



they cannot be expected ever to come up that noble river. 



Eeturning, however, to our whitebait, it may be stated 



