170 APPEXDIX. 



Norfolk has prevented me from answering them. 

 I think the most grateful return I can now make 

 to those who have evinced such deep interest in the 

 undertaking will be to give a very brief account of 

 our proceedings ; but, before doing so, I have also 

 to tender my thanks to those gentlemen living near 

 the Tyne, the Tweed and Ettrick, the Eibble, the 

 Teme and Severn, and the Dovey Eivers, who not 

 only gave permission to those employed, but 

 energetically aided them in obtaining ripe fish 

 from these streams. 



Notwithstanding all the efforts made by the 

 fishermen, we were unable to obtain a single ripe 

 fish so long as the severe frost lasted, which appears 

 to have prevented the spawning fish from leaving 

 the sea and ascending the tributaries of the larger 

 rivers to deposit their spawn. 



This bears out the opinion expressed very 

 recently by Mr. Frank Buckland, "that the Salmon 

 is a very knowing fish," and would not, therefore, 

 quit the estuaries so long as the spawning beds 

 were frozen and unfit for the reception of the Ova. 



At one time I nearly despaired of success, as the 

 ship was positively to leave the Docks on the 

 morning of the 20th. Up to the evening of the 

 14th no Ova had been obtained, but within 24 hours 

 of that time the fishermen employed in Scotland, 

 Lancashire, Worcestershire, and Wales simul- 



