president's addeess. 313 



Then hatching boxes were invented, with all their paraphernalia, 

 and we have since gone on improving the various appliances. 

 One rather striking fact which comes to the front, however, is 

 that we have largely gone back to the gravelly bed of a stream 

 for the purpose of hatching ova for stocking waters ; and it is 

 by far the most economical method, in many cases, by which to 

 manage this sowing of the seed, as it were. When the lowest 

 price of ova was 50s. a thousand, sowing liberally was hardly to 

 be entertained ; but now that magnificent ' fully-eyed ' eggs all 

 ready for hatching can be bought — taking a quantity- at 7s. 6d. 

 per 1,000, the cost of sowing is comparatively trifling. These 

 ' eyed ' trout-eggs may be sown in artificially prepared beds, very 

 much as a farmer or gardener sows his seeds. The beds can easily 

 be made where there is a good trout stream, though they should 

 not be made in the stream itself, but alongside of or near it, or 

 in a race way where they are not liable to be destroyed by floods. 

 They can be made in a variety of different ways, but the simplest 

 plan is perhaps to make them of wood. I shall be very glad to 

 send one or more of these wooden beds to anyone who may desire 

 it. "When once the principle is understood, more wooden ones 

 may be made by any local carpenter ; or brick, stone, or concrete 

 may be used, if greater permanency is desired. The trout-eggs, 

 when within a week or so of hatching, are placed among gravel 

 in the beds, and left to themselves — no further care being neces- 

 sary, except to be sure that the water supply is not cut off." 



To us, as a local Club, the practical outcome of the facts which 

 I have thus briefly put before you lies in the question, — what 

 should we be doing in our district to help in maintaining and 

 improving our fisheries ? For, if nothing be done, I take it as 

 certain that the yield must persistently decrease, except in so far 

 as we may be beneficially affected by the efforts of neighbouring 

 districts. But that, I trust, is scarcely a solatium to be calmly 

 accepted by the Northumbrian spirit. 



Besides the exercise of the various regulating powers belong- 

 ing to local authorities, — on which I need not further dwell, — 

 there are at least two directions in which it might be desirable 

 for the County Councils to invoke the aid of Biologists. First, 



