FRESH-WATER TROUT— TIMES OF BREEDING. 209 



Mr. Harvie-Brown at Loch, Grorm, in Sutherland, which is greatly fed by snow 

 water from the Bucht of Benmore, has taken trout heavy with spawn in June and 

 July.* It has been questioned whether these fish are annual or biennial breeders,t 

 and Dr. J. Davy came to the conclusion, after examining a large number captured 

 in open streams, that only half spawned annually. J At Howietoun, it has been 

 found that some at least are annual spawners there. It is also clear that in some 

 waters a portion at least of these fish are not annual breeders. A marked example 

 of Loohleven trout was spawned at Sir J. Gibson-Maitland's on November 27th, 

 1874, and again on November 25th, 1875. In ponds destitute of streams, no 

 young, as a rule, are produced, either due to spawn not being developed, remaining 

 unfertilized, or else deposited in an unsuitable place. It has been generally 

 considered that when the ova of these fish have arrived at a certain stage the 

 female has no power to retain them but they must be extruded, a conclusion 

 which there is reason to doubt, as it has been found possible to retard the 

 deposition of the eggs for as much as a fortnight or even three weeks, by placing 

 the fish in a wooden box through which a current of water flows. 



To my mind, the experiments in breeding trout (see p. 26 ante) should teach a 

 most important lesson to all who desire to stock their waters with a healthy and 

 large race. The parents ought to be selected from fish that are in full vigour 

 and of mature age, which can only be attained where segregation is properly 

 carried out. Netting breeding fish in streams at haphazard and collecting their 



* One taken by Mr. Fowler in Loch Toll au Loohain, in Eoss-shire, on June 17th, 1885, 

 weighed 14J lb. It contained numerous ova so ripe that they were running out when received 

 by Mr. Eden in London to be cast. 



t E. B. L., in The Field, January 20th, 1886, remarked, "In the very first week in this 

 month one is always attracted by unusually fine trout displayed on the stalls of the metropolitan 

 fishmongers. The majority of such fish are in perfect condition, some of them as fat and broad, 

 and firm and bright, as if they had fed on the daintiest and choicest of the ephemera during 

 the winter months. The Irish lakes produce these charming fish. It would be interesting to 

 know when these trout spawn, or are they spawning fish at all ? Certainly, those in such prime 

 order now, never either shed milt or ova during the last season ; if they had, their condition 

 would not be what it is at present. The lakes of KiUarney and other districts appear to 

 produce these irregularly breeding trout in greater numbers than our English waters. In Winder- 

 mere, Westmoreland, the large trout netted early in the season — and the smaller ones too, for 

 that matter — are, as a rule, poor lanky things, ill-mended kelts, in fact. On the contrary, badly- 

 fed early spring fish from the Irish lakes are exceptional. Every river contains barren trout in 

 certain numbers, but such are generally of small size, bright fellows, that may even be seen rising 

 during any mild day throughout the winter, when the little black midges come on the water during 

 the early afternoon. No doubt these Irish lake trout, like the chars and gillaroos, feed in the deep 

 water on the larvse and various water beetles and insects found in such places ; but how often do 

 these choice specimens spawn, if at all ? This would no doubt be welcome knowledge to many 

 readers." 



Mr. E. T. Danbury, Bedhampton Eectory, in The Field, January 19th, 1884, remarked on 

 having placed a pair of trout in a good sized hamper in the water, intending to take the spawn 

 when the female was ripe. Next morning he found the female had been so maltreated by the 

 male during the the night, as to be completely disfigured and in a dying state. Obtained 

 about 2000 ova. The male was larger than the female. 



Mr. J. Douglas OgUby, Altnaohree, observed, March 9th, 1884, " I got leave from the Irish 

 Fishery Commissioners to catch brown trout, and since that date have obtained and examined 

 sixty trout varying in size from 4 in. to 10 in. : of these 18 males and 26 females had the spawn 

 plainly visible : perhaps my meaning will be better conveyed when I say that in a 6 in. fish the 

 lobes of ova would average IJ in. long. The remaining 14 were without any symptoms of 

 breeding at all. 



" I have remarked several things during the course of these investigations. (1) That in the 

 spring months the female fish preponderate in number and are seemingly further advanced in 

 spawning, while the reverse holds good in the autumn : and (2) that the very small trout are as a 

 rule more advanced than the larger and show a much higher percentage in the numbers in which 

 spawn is visible, especially again among the female fish. (3) I frequently find at the posterior end 

 of each lobe of ova, one or two fully developed ova evidently of last year, but I presume this is of 

 little consequence. . . The trout in these burns average six to the lb." 



{ On June 12th, 1886, opened a female trout taken yesterday in the Windrush with the May- 

 fly, and which was gorged with these Ephemeridte. I found two trout eggs in its abdomen, one 

 nearly as low as the ventral fin, the other with numerous blood vessels going to it from the surface 

 of the liver and intestines. The fish was in good condition and eggs for the next season visible, 

 0-02 in. in diameter : in this case it would appear that the trout, if it had lived, would have bred 

 two seasons consecutively. Probably food is a considerable factor regulating capability of breeding, 



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