STORMONTFIELD EXPERIMENT. 37 



was commenced at a ford on the Tay, near 

 Almond-mouth, by Mr Ramsbottom of Clitheroe, 

 who is so well known as a successful manipulator. 

 We were present, but will let Mr Ramsbottom 

 explain his own method, which we take from his 

 pamphlet on Artificial Breeding at Outerard : 

 "So soon as a pair of suitable fish were captured, 

 the ova of the female were immediately discharged 

 into a tub, one-fourth full of water, by a gentle 

 pressure of the hands, from the thorax down- 

 wards. The milt of the male was ejected in a 

 similar manner, and the contents of the tub 

 stirred with the hand. After the lapse of a 

 minute the water was poured off, with the excep- 

 tion of sufficient to keep the ova submerged 

 this must always be attended to, even when the 

 ova or milt is flowing from the fish and fresh 

 water supplied in its place. This also was poured 

 off, and fresh substituted, previous to removing 

 the impregnated spawn to the boxes prepared for 

 its reception." We observed in this, the first 

 manipulation, and in all the others afterwards, 

 that a very small quantity of the milt was suf- 

 ficient to impregnate the ova of a large salmon, 

 and that always a few of the ova, after receiving 

 the milt, turned white these were injured, and 



