ENGLAND AND WALES 251 



young fish near the lower reaches and releasing them 

 at the head of the tideway. The experiments have 

 now been conducted continuously for six years, during 

 which many thousands of two-year-old smolts, reared 

 at Denham by Mr. W. Crosbie Gilbey, who has 

 generously placed his hatchery and his valuable 

 services at the disposal of the Committee, have been 

 turned in. No fish has been found dead, and it 

 has been proved season after season that the smolts 

 live and thrive in the Thames before going down to 

 the sea. Early in the summer of 1905 there were 

 very encouraging reports from the mouth of the 

 river, where grilse were assembling, presumably with 

 intent to run up the estuary. A few fish were 

 taken in nets. As these were all of similar weight, 

 there is a strong presumption that they were fish 

 which had, as smolts, been released at Teddington, 

 and that a favourable combination of flood water in 

 the river and high tide might have enticed them up. 



"The Committee think it desirable that the 

 experiments should be continued some years longer, 

 especially as many details of the natural history of 

 the salmon are still obscure, and there is great 

 difference of opinion among experts as to the period 

 the young fish spend in the salt water before returning 

 as grilse. 



" Meanwhile the Committee have taken a step that 

 will be of general interest. Mr. Gilbey has success- 

 fully hatched ova of the huchen, the non-migratory 

 salmon of the Danube, and has turned several 

 hundred of the young into the river. The huchen 



