STOEMONTFIELD EXPERIMENT. 39 



hatching was retarded, the temperature of the 

 water flowing through the boxes during the 

 month of January, February, and March ranging 

 between 33 and 42 degrees Fah. 



After Mr Kamsbottorn had seen the ova depo- 

 sited in the boxes, Mr Buist selected to attend and 

 watch over the young fry Mr Peter Marshall, the 

 present keeper, who has shown all along an 

 aptitude for the situation; and we know he has 

 given much satisfaction to his employers, and to 

 all naturalists and strangers who have visited the 

 place to witness the experiment. We question 

 if there is any person in this country more 

 thoroughly acquainted with the artificial rearing 

 process than Peter of the Pools. 



Many theories were prevalent at this time 

 the public prints were full of them ; but there was 

 one that Mr Buist was determined to examine, 

 namely, whether ova taken from the female fish, 

 without having received the milt, would hatch, 

 some writers affirming that the ova were impreg- 

 nated before they left the fish. Two boxes were 

 filled with ova taken from a salmon without 

 having the milt applied, and other two were 

 filled from the same fish, but manipulated upon 

 with the milt of the male; and it was found that 



