STOCKING 397 



ance of the normal as distinguished from the 

 degenerate trout, I have selected and photographed 

 four specimens killed on the Test in 191 1. The 

 reproductions of these photos are given in Plates 

 XL, XLI, XLII and XLIII ; Plate XL, a male 

 of I lb. 12 oz., killed on June 24th, and Plate 

 XLI, a female of i lb. 10 oz., killed on April 

 24th, are typical wild fish, and Plates XLII and 

 XLIII are respectively degenerate specimens of 

 male and female. I could easily have given shorter, 

 thicker, and better-looking examples of the wild fish, 

 but I consider these fair average examples of typical 

 naturally bred Test trout. The male shown in Plate 

 XLII, killed on April nth, measured 20 inches in 

 length, and weighed 2 lb. 7 oz. It is, in my opinion, 

 a fair sample of one of these grossly overfed stew- 

 fish, probably not above three years old, which had 

 been turned out of the stew into the river in the early 

 spring, and from that day to the day of its capture 

 had dropped downstream and steadily deteriorated 

 in weight and condition. Plate XLIII, a female of 

 I lb. 8 oz., killed on May ist, will, when compared 

 with the typical naturally bred female Test trout 

 given in Plate XLI, show what is meant here by a 

 degenerate fish. 



What is the cause of this degeneration ? The 

 necessity of stocking has for many years been brought 

 home to all lessees of chalk-stream fisheries, because 

 the natural reproduction cannot suffice to make up 

 for the number killed, not only by the fisherman, but 



