THE CALIFORNIAN SALMON. 
105 
the Emperor, where for several years M. Coste has carried 
out, under the eyes of His Majesty, some extensive experi- 
ments. The little pond which has been the theatre of this 
curious phenomenon is situated in the hollow of a shady 
valley, and is only about two and a half acres in extent. 
Its depth is about 20 feet at the embankment, while the 
depth decreases gradually towards the other end, the 
bottom being well covered with vegetation. The water 
is pure and always cold, being supplied by springs from 
the slopes around, and is sufficiently abundant to form a 
cascade at the point where it overflows the reservoir. 
Three years ago this pond was empty while some repairs 
were in progress, and when the bank was closed the water 
soon accumulated so as to fill the reservoir. M. Coste 
placed in it some trout of a year old, which he had placed 
temporarily, under the surveillance of the Emperor, in a 
little pond of about six feet square. These trout are now 
four years old and are 19 to 22 inches in length. In April 
and May, 1857, several thousands of young salmon, placed 
for hatching at the College de France , two months before, 
were liberated in the pond with the trout, and these young 
salmon, notwithstanding the enemies they had there 
already, have succeeded so well, that when the pond was 
netted last month by order of the Emperor, and in the 
presence of their Majesties, there was caught in a single 
draught of the net, more than two hundred and twenty 
pounds weight. These fish are now twenty-two months 
old, weigh on the average about a quarter of a pound, and 
are ten to twelve inches in length. M. Coste found to his 
great surprise that all these fish were ready to spawn. 
The females had their ova matured, and some of their 
eggs were taken and artificially impregnated at the time. 
I have seen these eggs, and the embryo is so far developed 
that they will hatch out in a short time. The possibility 
