THE NEW AKT OF BKEEDING FISH. 115 



extent. Both our members will assist in carrying 

 any bill that we may bring forward, that is, of course, 

 if it be one that shall be carefully drawn up, &c. ; 

 and I really think if all set to with a will, we shall 

 be successful. In France, England, Scotland, and 

 Ireland, efforts are now being made almost simulta- 

 neously to propagate salmon by artificial breeding. 

 The success, or otherwise, of these efforts in the 

 British isles, will be known next season by the results 

 of the Messrs. Ashworth's experiments in Ireland, 

 and the season following by those of the Scottish as- 

 sociation, supported by the Duke of Athol and the 

 Earl of Mansfield, and also by that in Yorkshire, 

 promoted by Mr. Isaac Fisher and coadjutors. 



The question of breeding salmon artificially is 

 not new to this country. The first British artificial 

 breeders of salmon are Mr. John Shaw, of Drum- 

 lanrig, and Mr. Andrew Young, of Invershin, Suth- 

 erlandshire. The French and other artificial breeders 

 have followed in their wake, I cannot say whether 

 advantageously or not. I have my doubts. The 

 lapse of a year and a half will (si vixerim) set them 

 at rest. Mr. Shaw began his experiments in artifi- 

 cial breeding in January, 1836, and in 1840 pub- 

 Ushed his Experimental Observations on the Develop- 

 ment and Growth of Salmon Fry, from the Exclu- 

 sion of the Ova to the Age of Two Years. Mr. 

 Young began artificial breeding in 1841, chiefly to 

 prove that young salmon became smolts in the 

 twelfth month of their existence, then migrated, and 



