68 NATUKAL HISTORY OF THE SALMON. 



into the filtering-pond, when it was found, on 

 capturing them some months afterwards, that the 

 hole had closed up clearly proving that Nature 

 makes every effort to perfect this covering to 

 protect the gills. No ringed fish was caught, 

 which was much regretted; and we question if 

 ever a foreign substance can be inserted into a 

 smoult at least, while in the fresh water that 

 will remain for any length of time attached to the 

 fish after it goes to the sea. 



On the 1st of October, 1857, the celebrated M. 

 Coste, Professor in the College of France, and 

 whose successful experiments in the artificial 

 breeding of fish and re-stocking the rivers of that 

 country, are well-known, paid a visit to Stormont- 

 field. JThe Professor spoke in high terms of the 

 manner in which the experiment had been con- 

 ducted, and carefully inspected the fry in the pond. 

 M. Coste recommended that some more small 

 ponds should be added to the one in operation, 

 so as to enable the experiments in the natural 

 history of the salmon to be thoroughly investi- 

 gated, but this suggestion, as it involved expense, 

 was never acted upon; for although the rental of 

 the salmon fishing on the Tay is, at the present 

 time, about 14,000 a-year, some at least of 



