101 



on a gentle slope of ground on the pleasant bank of the silvery 

 Tay ; and by means of the gentle inclination, the water falls 

 beautifully from one compartment or box to another, in a gradual 

 but constant stream, and collects at the bottom in a kind of dam, 

 and thence, runs into a small lake or depot where the young fish 

 are kept. A sluice made of fine wire-grating, admits of the 

 superfluous water being run off Into the Tay, and thus keeps up 

 an equable supply. It also serves as an outlet for the fish when 

 it is deemed expedient to send them out to try their fortune, in 

 the greater deep near at hand, for which their pond-experience 

 has been a mode of preparation. The planning of the boxes, 

 ponds, sluiees, &e., has been accomplished with singular inge- 

 nuity, and we cannot eonceive anything better adapted for the 

 purpose. Our only regret is, that it has not been constructed on 

 a much larger scale. If the number of boxes had been doubled, 

 there would then have been accommodation for breeding one 

 million of salmon. 



" The operation of preparing the spawn for the boxes was com» 

 menced here on the 23d of November, 1853, and in the course 

 of a month, 300,000 ova were deposited in the 300 boxes, which 

 had been filled with gravel and made all ready for their reception. 

 Mr. Ramsbottom, who conducted the manipulation, thinks the 

 Tay is one of the finest breeding-streams in the world, and says 

 that ' it would be presumption to limit the numbers that might 

 be raised there, were the river cultivated to Its capabilities.' We 

 prefer giving this gentleman's own description of the process of 

 shedding the spawn, and the manner of impregnating it. ' So 

 soon as a pair of suitable fish were captured, the ova of the female 

 were immediatedly discharged into a tub one-fourth full of water, 

 by a gentle pressure of the hands from the thorax downwards. 

 The milt of the male was ejected in a similar manner, and the 

 contents of the tub stirred with the hand. After the lapse of a 

 minute, the water was poured off, with the exception of sufficient 

 to keep the ova submerged, and fresh water supplied in its place. 

 This also was poured off, and fresh substituted previous to remov- 

 ing the impregnated spawn to the boxes prepared for its reeep- 



