ICHTHYOLOGY. 



G87 





.traction of such a pond, and even where most fa- 

 vourable, an expensive barrier must be constructed to 

 separate it from the sea. Some ponds of this kind 

 have been constructed in Scotland. These are well de- 

 scribed in the Scots Magazine for June 1816, p. 412. 



" A good many years ago, a small fish pond, into 

 which sea-water could be easily introduced, was con- 

 structed by an enterprising individual at Peterhead, in 

 Aberdeenshire, (Mr Arbuthnot). A few sea fish were 

 occasionally kept in it ; but it soon fell into disuse, 

 and it has of late been neglected. This however was, 

 as far a* we know, the first attempt of the kind in this 

 country. 



Since that time two sea-fish ponds, of greater di- 

 nensions, have been formed by private gentlemen in 

 Scotland, for the conveniency of supplying their fami- 

 lies. One of these is at Valleyfield, the seat of Sir 

 Robert Preston, Bart, on the shore of the Frith of 

 Forth ; the other is situated in Wilton-shire, in an in- 

 let called Portnesaock, on the peninsular ridge of coun- 

 try called the Rins of GaUoway, nine or ten miles 

 south from Portpatrick, and is the property of Mr 

 Macdowall of Logan. 



At the pot where it is formed, there hail originally 

 been a small natural basin, communicating with the 

 em by means of a narrow sinuous fissure, or perhaps 

 an empty vein in the rock. ThU basin has been en- 

 larged and deepened, by working away the solid rock, 

 which is grey wacke slate. At flood-tide, the water 

 coven, to the depth of two or three feet, a ledge or 

 walk which psssrt round an interior or deeper pond, 

 and, at this time, allows tolerably ample space for the 

 rapid motions of the fish. 



The pond is replenished with fishes by the keeper, 

 whose house is hard by. In easy weather, this man 

 row* out in his fishing coble, to the mouth of Logan 

 Bay, in which the inlet of Portnessock is situated. 

 For catching the fish, he use* the common hand line, 

 and the usual baits. He is provided with a wide tub, 

 into which he puts a convenient quantity of sea water: 

 to this tub he immediately commits surh part of his 

 rapture as happen to be little hurt by the hook. He 

 find* it necessary, during summer, to cover the tub 

 with a cloth ; and in sultry weather he experiences 

 difficulty in keeping the fishes alive in the tub till he 

 reach the shore. This, it seems evident, cannot be 

 ascribed either to mere heat, or to the vxhaustin.- of 

 the air contained in the water, by the respiration of the 

 MM*. In all probability, it depends on the influence 

 of the electric fluid of the atmosphere. De la Cepedc, 

 in hi* essay on the culture of fresh- water fishes, parti- 

 cularly mentions the powerful effect of this fluid on 

 than, when confined in small portion* of water, in the 

 course of their transference from one place to another. 



A* might naturally be supposed, the fisherman pre- 

 fers for the pond young fish, or at most those of middle 

 sise to those of large growth. In selecting cod-fish, for 

 example, he rejects aQ that exceed 61b. giving the pre- 

 ference to what be style* lumpt, or young cod-fish, 

 weighing lib. or 5 Ib. In the pond, the fish are not 

 only preserved alive till wanted for use, but, being re- 

 gularly fed, are found to be fattened. They are taken 

 lor use, however, merely by the line and hook ; and it 

 is probable, that the fish in best condition will not al- 

 ways be the first to catch at the bait. 



The fishes we observed in the pond were the follow, 

 ing: 



1. Cod (Gadui morlina). They were lively, and 

 caught greedily at ahell-fun, which we threw into the 



pond. They kept chiefly, however, in the deep water, Condition 

 and, after approaching with a circular sweep, and ?* Fishes. 

 making a snatch at the prey, descended out of sight to ^ ~~Y~~* f 

 devour it. It has often been doubted, whether the red 

 ware codling of Scotland was the young merely of the 

 common cod, or a distinct species, Gadus callarias. 

 Here one would think the question might easily be de- 

 cided. Upon describing this red ware codling, we 

 were assured that it occurs on the coast of Galloway, 

 and that it had sometimes been caught and placed in 

 the pond ; but that, after a year, it became as large and 

 as pale in colour as a common grey cod. This accords 

 with our own observations, made in less favourable 

 circumstances. 



2. Hadock (G. teglefiniis'). These, contraiy to ex- 

 pectations, we found to be the tamest fishes in the pond. 

 At ebb tide, they come to the inner margin, and eat lim- 

 pets from the hand of a little boy, the son of the keep- 

 er. They appeared white, and rather sickly. One 

 was diseased about the eyes. 



3. Coal fish (G. carbo*ariiis}. Some of these were of 

 a large size, exceeding in dimensions the largest cod 

 in the pond. No fish has received so many different 

 names as the coalfish. When young, it is called at 

 Edinburgh, podley ; in the northern islands, sillock ; 

 in Galloway, blochan. When a year old, it is styled 

 cooth, or piltock, in the north ; and glasson in the 

 south-west of Scotland. When full grown, it is named 

 sethe in the north ; and stenlock in the south-west. 

 Accordingly we were now told, that " these stenlocks 

 were mere blochans when they were put in.'' They 

 were become of a fine dark purple colour. They were 

 bold and familiar, floating about slowly and majestical- 

 ly, till some food was thrown to them : this they seized 

 voraciously, whether it consisted of shell-fish, or ship 

 biscuit. We were informed, that they too occasionally 

 approach the margin, and take their food from the 

 keeper's hand. 



*. Whiting (G. nterlangus). These were scarce in 

 the pond, and very shy. 



5. Pollack (G. poUachius). This was pretty com- 

 mon, and has been found to answer very well as a pond 

 fish. It is generally called layde or lythe. 



Besides these five species of gadus, we were told that 

 the ling (G. molva) had occasionally been kept in the 

 pond. 



6. Salmon (Salmo talar}. This was the wildest 

 and the quickest in its motions of all the inhabitants. 

 When a mussel or limpet, freed from the shell, was 

 thrown on the surface of the water, the salmon very 

 often darted forward and took the prey from all compe- 

 titors, disappearing with a sudden jerk and turn of the 

 body. I suspected this to be the salmon-trout (S. Irul- 

 la) ; but was assured that it was the real salmon, which 

 is occasionally taken in the bay. 



7. Flat-fish, or flounders, of two sorts, were also in 

 the pond ; but they naturally kept at the bottom, and 

 we did not see them. From the description given by 

 the people, we concluded that they were dab and young 



The food given to the fishes consists chiefly of sand- 

 eel* and of shell-fish, particularly limpets and mussels. 

 In the herring-fishery season, they cut herrings in pieces 

 fur this purpose. 



It is remarkable, that all the kinds of sea-fish above 

 enumerated, seem to agree very well together. No 

 fighting had ever been observed by the keeper, and sel- 

 dom any chasing of one species by another. 



None of the fish have ever bred : indeed, no oppor- 



