Fishes. 2197 



advisable to obtain, if possible, a young male and an old female, as the brood are al- 

 ways the finest — to which subject I shall soon allude more at length. The last box of 

 all in these artificial spawning-beds, or hills, must differ from the spawning-boxes in 

 being three times as broad, to form an eddy, and deeper by three or four inches ; and 

 in this, which is the receiving-box for the brood, less shingle or gravel should be 

 placed, that there may be the more room for water. At the end of this box a perfo- 

 rated zinc plate is to be placed, of the width and immediately opposite to the flow 

 from the preceding spawn-box next to it : so that the water, being prevented from 

 passing off too freely, forms an eddy in the back part of the same ; and it is into this 

 box that the brood will descend as soon as the egg-shell has dropped from their bodies. 

 Here all the young fry are easily and safely captured, where, if any other system were 

 adopted, thousands would be destroyed, from the extremely fragile and tender nature 

 of their frames, to which a bruise, however slight, is fatal ; and therefore, in removing 

 them from the artificial bed to the nursery-stream, great care must be taken, or thou- 

 sands will be destroyed. Here, in this nursery, they remain undisturbed for the time 

 necessary to bring them up, which is from fifteen to eighteen months, and then they 

 may be turned into the river. If the brood is salmon, they depart of themselves, if 

 the barrier to the nursery be removed ; if trout, or some other brood, it is best to take 

 them and transfer them to different parts of the fishery. By this fostering system, we 

 know to a certainty what stock we have in hand ; and were this plan diligently and 

 annually followed out, we could reclaim all the rivers and streams in the United 

 Kingdom. 



** Six years have I successfully carried out this arrangement with trout in a fishery 

 not far from London, which is now the richest stream in the South of England. The 

 principle of artificial spawning I have been acquainted with as far back as 1815 ; and 

 I rely so confidently on the results which would ensue were it carried out, that I give 

 my experience as data to go upon, and now proceed with the practical part of the sub- 

 ject. Premising the spring of water is found, the boxes in order, and the yearling 

 brook arranged, — and this must be particularly attended to, as it affords the main or 

 chief protection to the brood, — then, in the early part of October, you begin to drag 

 for the grilse, which are ready to spawn. Presuming, therefore, that you have taken 

 a spawner or milter in or near the proper state, to be certain of this the vent must be 

 examined, and upon its appearing of a pear-shaped form, protruding and red, it may 

 be considered in a proper condition for expressing the eggs and milt. I f they are 

 not in this state, or fairly up, on no account undertake the operation, as in so doing 

 some of the soft internal parts may be ruptured and the fish destroyed, whilst the eggs 

 untimely taken would be useless. In case the fish are not forward enough, they 

 should be kept in tanks in the river for a few days, for at this time they do not feed. 

 Should the fish be all right, take a large earthenware pan, with about two quarts of 

 the spring water at bottom, and, holding the female fish up by the gill-covers, draw 

 your hand downwards from the pectoral fins to the anal point. This must not be done 

 roughly, but with sufficient force to expel the eggs from the ovarium into the pan. 

 The same process is then to be applied to the milter immediately afterwards, rather 

 nearer the vent, the whole milt not being ready at one time ; but it is not necessary to 

 obtain a large quantity of the vivifying fluid from him, as a very little of it diluted 

 with water is enough for thousands of eggs. I have known the spawner, when per- 

 fectly to her time, shoot all her eggs upon merely holding her up ; but this I attri- 

 buted to fear. On blending the milt with the spawn, a very interesting change takes 



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