THE NEW ART OF BREEDING FISH. 139 



boxes are six feet long, eighteen inches wide, nine 

 inches deep, open at top, set iu the ground in a 

 double row, on a slope of two or three inches on 

 each box, the end of the one set close to the end of 

 the other, in continuous line, and earthed up to 

 within an inch of the top. They are partly filled — 

 first, with a layer of fine gravel, next coarser, and 

 lastly, with stones, coarser somewhat than road 

 metal, to a total depth of six inches. A piece of 

 twelve inches wide by two inches deep is cut from 

 the end of each box, and a water-way of tin nailed 

 over this, with a turn-up on either side, to prevent 

 the water from escaping. These connect the line 

 of boxes, and carry the water to the extreme end, 

 whence it is made to drop into the one which re- 

 ceives and preserves the young fish. The artificial 

 rill is, in all resjjects, similarly prepared, excepting 

 that its channel course is in the rill itself. The 

 pipe is now introduced into the upper box of each 

 line, and at the water head the spawn bed is pre- 

 pared, two hours' running will clear away the earth 

 from the stones. The water will be found about 

 two inches in depth, over the average level of the 

 stones in the boxes. By an iron wire grating, the 

 boxes can be isolated, and the pipe protected against 

 the passage of insects and trout. The salmon were 

 taken by nets on the spawn fords at night, from the 

 20fch of December, 1852, till after the 1st of Janu- 

 ary. When taken, they were instantly, and with- 

 out injury, put into a tub, one-fourth full of water. 



