THE CALIFORNIAN SALMON. 
99 
net with a little water at a time, and then allowing these 
to spring off the net, into the vessel placed ready to receive 
them. 
Tobacco smoke is most injurious and poisonous to 
salmon fry in transit ; especially if the bellows be used 
while the air is impregnated with it. The essential oil of 
tobacco is a volatile essence known as nicotine. It is a 
deadly poison, and when air filled with tobacco-smoke is 
forced into the cans, the nicotine is condensed and remains 
in the water, causing certain death to the fish should the 
quantity of the poison be sufficient. Even the fumes and 
smoke from the locomotive, may in some cases prove 
dangerous. I have had losses occur where the cause could 
not be traced ; and it is singular that only a part will 
sometimes die, and the remainder seem unaffected. Motion 
of the vessel, however violent, does not seem to hurt the 
fish, at any rate after the first few miles of the journey, 
and, in fact, rather tends to benefit them, by the deration 
of the water, caused by its splashing about in the cans. 
In sending off the different lots of fish to their destina- 
tions I gave written instructions to the attendant in the 
following form : — 
1. Keep the water thoroughly aerated by an aerator 
every fifteen minutes. 
2. Keep them in water of the same temperature that 
they have been accustomed to. This can be 
effected by means of ice. 
3. Use the water in which they have been bred, and 
keep everything clean about them. 
4. Take out all dead fish at least once a day, as they 
putrefy quickly and foul the water. 
5. Give them a fresh supply of the same water if 
possible, or of water equally pure, every twenty- 
four hours, and give but little food in transit. 
