THE NEW ART OF BREEDING FISH. 177 



would have a chance of being brought to life (for 

 even supposing the baggits themselve are retuined 

 alive to the river, the disturbance occasioned by the 

 constant plying of the nets on or near the spawning 

 grounds, and the liability such fish incur of being 

 retaken, over and over again, make miscarriage al- 

 most inevitable) — these ova, down to a single pellet, 

 are rescued from certain destruction and buried with 

 extreme care in a choice portion of the river, where 

 no ordinary calamity can possibly overtake them. 

 The result wiU be, that almost all the ova so inhumed 

 will come to life ; and say that they form the supply 

 from only two hundred baggits, each baggit yielding 

 a tiifle beyond 10,000, we have at once, added to 

 the natural resources of the Tweed, a hatch or brood 

 consisting of 2,000,000 of fry, all vitalized at the 

 expense of a few pounds sterling. Of these fry, 

 nearly one-half, without any additional cost whatso- 

 ever, is likely to attain the smolt stage, and allowing 

 that only a single individual out of two hundred find 

 its way back to Tweed, in the shape of a grilse, the 

 annual produce of the river undergoes an increase of 

 nearly 5,000 available fish. Let Mr. Eamsbottom's 

 system of breeding and rearing, at one farthing per 

 smolt, match this if it can." 



I am strongly of opinion that the Tweed Com- 

 missioners would act wisely by paying prompt, sub- 

 stantial attention to the feasible suggestions of Mr. 

 Stoddart. It is a great pity to allow poor old Tweed 

 to go to rack and ruin. We London salmon anglers 



