NATURAL HISTOET — ZOOL0G1T. 221 



great commercial resource ; and from this he argued that there was 

 still hope for the resuscitation of the salmon fisheries in the streams 

 of Yorkshire, which were among the best of the country, the area of 

 drainage in the rivers of Yorkshire being, according to Professor 

 Phillips, a good authority, 5836 square miles. A variety of evidence 

 of owners and managers of salmon fisheries was then adduced, and 

 went to show that the cause of the falling off in the quantity of 

 salmon in the West Riding rivers arose principally from the erection 

 of large numbers of manufactories on the banks of the streams, the 

 waters from which were poisonous to the fish. In the North and 

 East Ridings the cause of the falling off was said to be the locks and 

 weirs, the improvements in the engines for catching, and the fearful 

 havoc which had been and was being made among salmon by the 

 use of traps and poaching. Some of the fishermen said that, a few 

 years ago, they could have caught more in a day than they now got 

 in a year. Various suggestions were thrown out with a view to 

 remedy the present state of things, among which were an earlier 

 compulsory closing of the rivers, the levying of a tax for their pro- 

 tection, and for the construction of salmon-ladders at all the weirs, 

 and also a licence for angling and fishing. 



FRESH-WATER FISH. 



Several interesting letters have been addressed to the Times, in 

 furtherance of Fish-breeding as a commercial object. The fish 

 adapted for breeding-stock should be prolific, cheap to rear, of rapid 

 growth, and good to eat, according to one correspondent, S. E., 

 who says : — 



"To begin with the worst — barbel are scarcely eatable, often unwholesome. 

 Chub, dace, roach, and bream, when broiled within two hours of leaving the 

 water, arc tolerable, but within twelve hours the flesh becomes soft and tasteless. 

 They are, therefore, not fit for the market. Perch make good water- souchy, but 

 this is not a poor man's dish; moreover, they are slow of growth. Eels are 

 brought from Holland cheaper than we can catch them here,' except in the 

 autumn ; besides which they are great destroyers of spawn. Carp require costlv 

 cookery, which at once puts the carp out of court as a trade fish. Mr. Boccius 

 speaks highly of a German species, but it is not yet known here. Tench are 

 good, but in this country not prolific, though De Hue describes them as easily 

 and profitably cultivated in China. Probably our climate is too cold They 

 might succeed, like the Chinese carp or goldfish, in ponds heated by the waste 

 steam of our factories. The burbot is also good, but not prolific. Although not 

 an angler's fish, and seldom taken by the net, it is never plentiful, and therefore 

 not profitable. The char is excellent, but even in its most favourite haunt — 

 Buttermere Lake — is by no means plentiful. Moreover, it seldom exceeds six 

 or seven ounces in weight. The potted fish sold under this title are often small 

 trout — a very good substitute. Pike are prolific and tolerable eating, but so 

 voracious that they will only pay to keep where the better sorts will not thrive. 

 In canals and meres they may be cultivated with profit. 



" We have now narrowed the list to salmon, trout, and grayling — all excellent 

 eating, prolific, and, from the size of their ova, easily bred artificially, by which 

 process, I may here remark, about 90 per cent, of the ova become useful fish ; 

 whereas by leaving this to the care of their natural parents about 90 per cent. 

 are instantly devoured. The difficulties with salmon are that they must go 

 annually to the sea to feed, and annually towards the river's head to spawn. 

 Few persons possess the whole length of a salmon river ; the interests of the 

 upper and lower proprietors become antagonistic, and so breeding ceases to pay. 

 A Commission is now inquiring into this subject, and I sincerely hope they will 

 devise some means reconciling the conflicting interests. 



