136 Flow to obtain it. 
his apologies. But how much better it would have been to have 
let things alone at first. 
I once knew a visitor to poke a hole through a perforated 
zinc screen, with the result that a quantity of fish escaped from a 
stew, in which the owner had placed them at considerable expense. 
One day two individuals came to look at my fish, and without 
asking leave went amongst the ponds, and before they had been 
many minutes they were actually leaping over the fry nurseries, to 
save going round a few yards, and running a great risk of doing 
irreparable damage. This was rather too much, and they were, 
as a somewhat natural consequence, ordered off the ground. This 
they did not like, but who was to blame? Every part of a fish 
farm should be kept strictly private, and no one allowed to wander 
about without a conductor. 
Before leaving the subject of the hatchery, I must again refer 
to the water supply. It is the driving power of the works, and 
must on no account be allowed to fail. Take care, then, that 
the supply is ample. There should always be plenty to spare, and 
this should be duly considered before entering upon the work. 
Another thing which is of the utmost importance, is that there 
should be no possibility of the supply being by any means cut off. 
All the arrangements are now very perfect at the Solway Fishery, 
but it was not always so, and consequently I have had consider- 
able opportunity of gaining experience. When I first commenced 
work, with no other building than-a hatchery in a very isolated 
position, I soon found how absolutely necessary it was to be on 
the spot myself. I therefore fitted up a room in one corner of 
the building, with a cooking stove and a berth, and, having been 
accustomed to camp life, thoroughly enjoyed being lulled to sleep 
by the music of the water as it passed from tank to tank, and in 
the middle of the night awakened at once if a change took place 
in the sound, owing to the alteration of the currents. A whole 
winter was spent in this hatchery, the day being occupied in 
poring over the hatching boxes, watching carefully the develop- 
ment of the embryos and the growth of the little fish, whilst 
working amongst them, and the long winter evenings were spent 
in writing up my notes, reading, correspondence, &c. I cannot 
but look back upon this period of my life as one of pleasure 
