Out of the Chalk. 8 1 



There were when Mr. Smee first took possession of the 

 garden two kinds of trout — one short, with white flesh, 

 which was in season in May and June ; the other longer, 

 with large head but with red flesh, which comes in season in 

 July and August. From time to time Mr. Smee has made 

 experiments in pisciculture, adding to the native trout other 

 members of the family, brought from different parts of the 

 country. Dr. Giinther, of the British Museum, points out in 

 his official catalogue that there are seven distinct breeds of 

 trout in this section of the Wandle, and adds, " It must be 

 remembered that Mr. Smee has introduced into .this river 

 numerous trout artificially bred from ova received from 

 numerous sources." A gallant attempt was made to intro- 

 duce grayling, but the experiment failed. At first young 

 ones were raised from ova, but to no purpose. Then twe'nty 

 brace of mature fish were conveyed from the Derbyshire 

 streams, and put safe and sound into the water. It was a 

 costly and difficult undertaking, but though many of the 

 fish lived on for years, and made a show of spawning at the 

 gravel beds, no young fish were ever seen, and by this time 

 not a grayling is by any chance observed. 



The Wandle is too shallow and gentle probably for this 

 interesting fish, and the success of the endeavour made to 

 introduce grayling into the Clyde may be attributed to the 

 suitability of the Scotch river for that particular kind of fish. 

 In like manner Mr. Smee failed to breed the burbolt or eel 

 pout, and he reared thousands of salmon trout and char in 

 his fish-house and turned them into the water, thus claiming 

 the honour of placing the first salmon into any tributary of 

 the Thames. After all the labour, thought, and outlay ex- 

 pended upon these difficult processes it was found that the 

 trout and eels — and Wandle eels are as deliciously flavoured 

 as Wandle trout — remained in sole and undisputed pos- 



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