366 
THE FIELD. 
betting was consequently very flat: what UtfcJe money there 
was laid, was invested at 5 to 4 on 1 nylor, winch was freely 
taken by Patterson's friends. 
PISCATORIAL ENTOMOLOGY 
TIT E nAMPSnillE I' I 8 II K II II A N TO X. Y. 7 .. 
My df.au Sir, — I was prevented by urgent business from 
earlier replying to your very obliging letter Inst week ; but, 
in ono respect, I am not sorry fur it, as t lie delay will have 
enabled mo to answer It more satislactoilly and more con- 
fidently than I othorwiso Should have been able to do. 
“Live and learn” is on old saying; mid, in ono sense, lie 
may be said to have lived to the best purpose who lias 
learned the most. Now, you may remember that I pro- 
pounded my theory of the Perennial Ply will) nil humility. 
It was formed, Indeed, after considerable and direful deli- 
beration, and discussion with others on whose hublts of 
observation and accuracy of investigation 1 bud every con- 
fidence. Hut as it was my great doslro to arrive at truth, 
and not to propound nn attractive and novel fallacy, 1 
courted from the first the most fpurclilog examination Into 
tho correctness of the conclusions I had drawn from certain 
premises which were already ascertained by tlie scientific 
labourer. I owe to you my grateful thanks for tlie graceful 
and courteous wav in which you responded to tho call. I 
Iiave heard It whispered, that It bus been given out Incertuln 
quarters, not over friendly to the Interests of Tin: Field 
(though, beyond all doubt, they hnve received nothing but 
kindness at our liunds), that there was u luck of angling 
correspondents in our pages. “ Comparisons are odious," 
as the immortal Maloprop phrases It. I will only say, 
if our general readorn are of tho same mind with myself, 
tlioy will duly appreciate communications sueli os that which 
I am now replying to, though it may not bo un “ ollu 
podrida” of stale ingredients, or claim to itself the authority 
of a “ homily.” But to return to my more immediate 
subject. You suggest a difficulty as to the various transi- 
tions of tho insect ufior it bus arrived at its Imago, or perfect 
state, from tho very short duration of insect life. It is, at 
first sight, no doubt startling ; but if you consider tho mat- 
ter a little moro carofully, I think you will suy thut it 
is an objection that exists only in idea. The measure- 
ment, indeed, of timo with us is fixed by certain arbitrary 
rules, perfectly suited for tho purposes of hiimnu life and 
human action, but which, if extended further, ami applied 
to other objects, would loso all their utility, If they did not 
lead us into error. Now I take it, that tho growth and 
development of animal life depends not at all on timo, but 
on tho idiosyncrasy or peculiar composition of tho indi- 
vidual. True it is no are apt to calculate tho periods for 
such phenomena according to our own divisions of time, 
but It is evident that the calculations' which load us to look 
for a certain event are perfectly distinct from the causes 
which lead to it. And, therefore, tho three days of insect life 
may answer In all respects for tlie samo ends, and be us 
amply sufficient to bring about a variety of phases in insect 
lifo, as threescore years and ten for tho growth and decline 
of the human species. If, then, this difficulty is nnsworod, 
let us see how fur my theory is borne out by facts. You 
will remember that I spoke of the insect ns wearing, among 
others, a dress changing from green ribbed with yellow to 
yellow ribbed with green, and then again becoming yellow. 
Now, I havo repculedly seen Idio same insect— that is to say, 
different individuals of tho samo order, genus, and family — 
on the water nt tho samo timo, having these distinctions, 
anil tlie fish greedily taking ono and disregarding the other. 
I believe, too, that there is no doubt thut insects cust their 
skins as the snake docs his slough, twice or three times 
during their career. Tho May Fly (the Ephcmoru Vulgate) 
does so beyond all doubt ; and If you will, when the season 
arrives, try the experiment, you will, on the second or third 
day, find your basket covered with tlie gauzo-liko exornoa. 
(By the by, talking of the May FJy, I saw a perfect Green 
l)ruko on tlie wnter, below Winchester, on Thursday, tlie 7 ill 
of April last. A similar curiosity was observed last year by 
a gentleman on whose accuracy every dependence is to be 
placed. 1 had previously seen them In Irclund ns late as 
September ; and 1 was told also, on good authority, of one 
which had been seen, if I remember right, so late as tho 
26th of November.) l)ut to return to our Perennial Fly 
und its changes. Mr. Ronalds, in bis very valuable treatise, 
has the following passage : — ‘‘Tho term ‘l)un’ appears to 
have been applied, in a general sense, to tho different species 
of EphomeridiB in their first winged State, another term being 
uddrd to designate each species, as the Hlue Dun, Yellow 
Dun, kc. In like manner tho term spinner seems to have 
been applied as a general name for the./friaZ change or per- 
fect state of the same insects, another name ulso being added 
to distinguish each Species, as the Red Spinuor, Grout 
Spinner, icc.” Now, it is quite clear, from this, that Ronalds 
contemplated that each insect, after bursting from the Pupil 
into the Imugn, undergoes two motnmorphosrs at least. 
Hut why should these he limited to two? or, rather, Is it 
not inoro natural to suppose that each goes through several 
gradations of colour? Tho operations of nnturo arc rarely 
violent. Tho changes of shade in tlie human hair from 
bright auburn to silvery grey Is by a long and gradual pro- 
cess. There are, indeed, gome instances In which tho change 
lias been wrought in a single night; but thut bus been by 
sudden pain, or violent mental or physical agony. And 
this is tho exception, and not tho rule. And why should not 
tlie same rule which applies to ono part of animated nature, 
in tlie absence of any probable theory to tho contrary, not 
extend to all its analogies? But let mu test my theory by 
the practical experience of tho last few days. I happened 
to bo lu the Isle of Wight, and had on hour or two’s fishing 
In one of the large ponds in tho neighbourhood of Newport. 
The streams, indeed, which water tho valleys of that beauti- 
ful Island arc srnull, but generally very bright, and, bring 
collected in these large reservoirs for tho purpose of turning 
mills, are, generally speaking, prolific in line trout. On 
showing my diminutive imitation of the Perennial Fly to 
conic of ti.e local Coltouinns, who had been used to fish 
with large PalmciR und Moths, I was told they were very 
pretty , hut would not do for Islo of Wight trout. However 
tho result was, that I basketed two braeo of good fish, tho 
biggest seventeen inches and over two pounds, and every 
„ no with the Olive Hare’s Ear. They would not look at the 
Hluo Dun or Red Spinner, though each was a representation 
of the same insect in a different stago. This, however, con- 
vinced me that their taking was not merely capricious ; and, 
indeed, I saw tho natural fly ou the water, of which mine was 
un imitation, and which is commonly called the Hare’s Ear. 
The next week I was at Winchester, and on the lichen. 
During the prevalence of tho lust easterly winds, on tlie two 
days thut 1 was by tho water, there was no fresh rising of 
(he fly at all. Ono or two of the perennial flies, in I heir 
yellowish green livery, were occasionally visible, and tlie fish 
wore evidently laying up, on tlie look out for a rising. 
During these two days, with a scorching sun and cloudless 
„ky , and water so low and bright that one could count the 
pebbles, it was almost madness to fish. However, it is not 
every day I can be out, and I did the best I could in somo 
rapid rivers. 1 was accompanied by a friend ; and, strange 
to suy, every fish wo took rose at the Red Spinner, till "C 
fished with nothing else. New, this struck me as a com- 
plete proof of my theory. You will ask mo how. The 
Perenniul Flv was us attractive to the fish in tho Islo of 
Wight ns at Winchester; but in the former place there was 
a rising of the fly, and accordingly the fish took it by pre- 
ference in it# early stage, tho best imitation of which, as I 
anticipated from the season, would ho tho Olive Dun Hare s 
Ear. At Winchester there had been no rising, and tho only 
fly on the wuter, so to speak, was the survivor ol some pre- 
vious rising — the matured Red Spinner. Hence tho fish 
were attracted by it, ami passed by copies of insects which 
Ht that momont were strange to them. Let us only have 
some ruin, und 1 have no doubt there will bo plenty of fly, 
und then tlie tastes of these epicurean gentry will doubtless 
lead them to a choice of food of a different colour. 
1 huvo been gossiping at a greater length than I had anti- 
cipated, and fear there will ho liurdly room for this in our 
columns. Next week, ‘‘ Deo volonte,” 1 will renew the 
subject. Ill tlie meantime, believe me to be, very faithfully 
yours, Tub Hampshire Fly-Fisher. 
SALMON 11Y POST. 
Perth, April 10, 1854.— Slit,— I send you, enclosed in 
a phial, three young salmon. They are four or five days 
old, und should they arrive in a living slate, you will find, 
upon turning them into a basin of water that they ore very 
active, though encumbered with tho large vi tel tine bag. I 
wish to save the post, and shall not therefore give you a 
great deal of information. Tho ova from which the speci- 
mens sont were hutched, were deposited in the incubator on 
the 20lh of November; they have therefore been upwards 
of four months before showing syuitouis of coming to life. 
The timo of incubation is found to vary uudor different cir- 
cumstances; of this I will inform you further at a future 
timo. I will say nothing that has not been proved by ex- 
periment and observation, and I have ample opportunity, 
for, in addition to the extensive experiment now in progress 
at Slormonlfleld, several gentlemen have boxes containing 
ova, which arc open to observation at all times. It is ex- 
pected that n great many disputed points, regarding the 
breeding of salmon, will be cleared up. The various writers 
in a contemporary journal would, I think, have done wisely 
if they bad been less hurried in expressing their opinions, 
ns they really know nothing about tlie matter more than 
has been known from tho writings of Shaw and Young, pub- 
lished years since. — Yours, C. F. W. 
[Wo stated last week that, unfortunately, the salmon did 
not roach us alive. Ed. Field.] 
ANDERSON’S FISHING ROD JOINT. 
\Ve huvo great pleasure in calling tho attention of anglers 
to another little invention by Mr. Anderson, of Dong Acre, 
tho importance of which will readily be acknowledged and 
appreciated by all who have experienced tho annoyance of 
loosejoints in u rod when fishing, or tlie equally voxatious 
tightening of tho joints from damp, when tho day’s sport is 
over, and the last shade of twilight scarcely affords time to 
pack up. Mr. Anderson’s improvement consists in adapt- 
ing to fishing rods the joint which has long been familiar to 
us in ladies’ parasols ; being a socket or swivel joint, with 
sliding ferrule. It is thus impossible to whip out a joint 
when fly-fishing, as in fuel the rod is ono piece ; from the 
same reason the rings are always in line. The rod can bo 
extended or folded up with the greatest rapidity, without 
tlie least fear of straining tho joints, nor is it possible to 
looso a joint. There is only one thing wanting to make the 
rod perfect, und that is, in case of accidentally breaking a 
top joint, a simple method of fixing another. Mr. Anderson 
will no doubt readily overcome this difficulty, and thus 
confer adotlier boon on liis brother anglers. 
ARTIFICIAL BREEDING OF SALMON IN T1IE DEE. 
We ( Chester Courunt) havo been fuvoured with a copy 
of tho following interesting letter, addressed to a friend by 
tho Honorary Secretary to the River Dee Fishery Associa- 
tion : — 
Dear , You ask mo to giro you ‘ a full, true, and par- 
ticular account ' of tho manner of our proceedings in tho salmon 
nursery which wo huvo established at Overton, and its probable 
results. I will endeavour to do so; and though no very new 
feature has transpired in tho course of our experiment, a recital 
of tlie local difficulties wo have had to contend with may not 
bo without it# use, os most undoubtedly the science is yet in 
its Infancy, und even “doctors disngreo” in somo of its first 
principles. 
“ About the end of November last, having had some corres- 
pondence with Mr. Ashworth (who has established a similar 
nursery in Galway), he came over to Chester at my invitation, 
and the following day we went to Overton to see Mr. Peel, and 
select a site for the experiment. We found what appeared to 
us a very suitable spot close to Overton, and received Mr. Peel's 
full assent to our proposals. On the 2nd of December I again 
visited Overton with Griffith Lewis (the person I had sent for 
to conduct the operations), when I was induced to think, from 
information 1 then received, that the spring we had selected 
was not to bo depended on. We spent the whole day in walk- 
ing over the estate, accompanied by parties who knew the 
country, and at length determined on making use of a spring 
near Overton Bridge, about 100 yards above the river. It was 
unfortunate that at this stage 1 was not shown a very superior 
spring in an adjoining field, there being some objection, in the 
opinion of Mr. Peel's agent, to my entering upon that ground, 
which was in another tenancy. As it was, the spring wc selected 
appeared to be very sufficient, and its defects were not manifest 
until our operations were fur advanced. I then engaged two 
men accustomed to netting (who were keepers in the employ 
of the association), to assist Griffith Lewis in his work ; and 
they immediately commenced netting on the fords, to take the 
spawning fish. I a the meantime l got made and sent ovc J 
“ On the 14th December, having received information that a 
quantity of spawn had been obtained, I went over and filled the 
first box with ova. I directed the men to lose no time in laying 
down nnd preparing the rest of the boxes with gravel, and in 
filling them with spawn in tho samo way as the first, following 
my instructions, nnd, as much ns possible, the system laid down 
in one or two piscicultural pamphlets with which, they were sup- 
plied. 
“ On the 20th, Ramsbottom, of Clitheroe, who lmd been sent 
for, came from Perth, nnd we proceeded to examine the Btate of 
the boxes os far as tlioy had gone. We found four boxes laid 
nnd the spawn looking healthy ; but the men complained of tlie 
difficulty there was in obtaining it ; the river being low and ih 0 
fish not easily caught. Ramsbottom said, if we could uot get ,t 
from the fish, wc must get it from tho river; nnd having p ut 
together a riddle made of deal boards nnd pierced zinc, wc pro- 
ceeded to dig up some of the spawning beds (or “dyebes” us they 
me hero called), and with considerable labour obtained ns much 
spawn as filled two boxes. I may here remark thut this p] Qn j 8 
of very doubtful expediency at any time, nnd was only adopted 
on this occasion us n dernier resort, Ramsbottom nnd myself 
being very anxious to got the boxes filled nt any cost. I certainly 
l.cliove that hud this spawn been left undisturbed in the river, a 
very large proportion would never havo germinated ; lmd it even 
escaped the cnsuultieaof Hood nnd frost to which it would after- 
wards have been subjected, it was most of it so deeply buried in 
travel that it must have perished irretrievably, nnd at the time it 
was placed in the boxes I regarded it as so much saved. Rut the 
result did not prove so. Tho whole of tho spawn thus obtained, 
though for somo time it appeared to do well, eventually perished; 
nnd those boxes being emptied, wore refilled with spawn taken 
direct from tbo fish. 
“On the 22ud, nt 3 n.m., wo proceeded to net for fish, and 
were singularly unfortunate, ns wo captured before daylight Rino 
fine salmon, nil of wliom wore either males or female fish which 
were not ready for spawning. I lmvo read n good deal of nonsense, 
written by people who evidently know little or nothing about 
the matter, ns to tho kurin this notliDg does, by alarming the 
fish, and causing them to forsake the spawning ground. Now, 
we netted on this occasion one ford three successive timeB, and 
each time of going over it took a fish, so little had the passing 
of the net scared them. Indeed, when the fish were turned loose, 
although we first carried them a short distance up tho river to 
avoid catching them a second time, they all steered straight down 
fur tho pluco where they were taken. One of these was a largo 
fcmnlo fish, which was marked noar the back fin by a white 
sear, apparently the result of a wound ; she was full of spawn, 
nnd Ramsbottom lmd her in his hands for, I think, ten minutes, 
trying if ho could obtain it, as he was exceedingly anxious to 
obtain some ; but the fish not being fur enough advanced ho was 
unable to proceed, and sho was turned into tho river. Three 
weeks afterwards, Griffith Lewis again took this very fish in 
the same spot, and obtained all tho spawn, which tilled two 
boxes; she was then again released, nnd I cuunot help hoping I 
may seo her again nt Overton next year, bo much for tho 
alarm tho fish experience from netting. 
‘•Before our boxes were nllquite filled but when too Into 0 r e- 
movo them, we began to exporienco difficulties from a want of 
purity in the water by which tlioy were fed. Springing at a 
very short distance from tho boxes, und being apparently a very 
pure run of clear wator, it was not deemed ncccssnry to filter it ; 
but n small pool through which it ran sufficed to breed weed and 
moss, and when the frost went nnd the weather became milder, 
a green slimy doposilnceumululed in the boxes to n mischievous 
extent, covering the gravel, and choking the spawn so as to en- 
danger tho whole of it ; it became necessary to clean tho boxes by 
sweeping them with a birch-broom onco or twice n-week, and 
cvonlually evory day, to get rid of this nuisance; nnd I am con- 
vinced tlmt this disturbance of the water, though necessary under 
tho circumstances, was in itself prejudicial; great quantities of 
ova perished, and at one timo I almost despaired ot saving any 
of them. On tlie 25th of March, however, lOldays after the ova 
were laid, I received the gratifying intelligence that somo wero 
lmtching. I lost no time in visiting the boxes, and found tho 
fish corning to life in three of them. Prepared ns I was to bo 
pleased with tho ciroumstanco, I cannot express the gratification 
it gave me to see our hopes thus reulised ; nor hod the representa- 
tions I had seen of tho young fish in its first stage of existence at all 
prepared me for so beautiful a little specimen of animal lifo; its 
slight liali like, transparent form, of a delicate salmon colour— tlie 
bag depending from its throat, deprived ofits apparent deformity by 
the brilliancy of its scarlet hue— its lively, rapid, though not con- 
tinuous motion, and tho cense that in that little, half-Tormcd, 
tadpolc-Uke being was lire germ of n future salmon, all contri- 
buted to give an inlorest to tlie realisation of this experiment, 
which would have been sufficiently strong, oven if it hod not boon 
for tlie hundred and one days suspense which attended its con- 
summation. The fish ure now daily coming to life, somo having 
shown themselves in all the boxes. 
“ We have had great difficulty in making a pond in which to 
receive them. Two or three sites originally fixed on were 
abandoned for various defects, and tho spot finally selected 
united almost every desirable qualification, but the soil has 
proved so much more porous than was anticipated, that wo 
have been nt great trouble and expense to render it water-tight ; 
this difficulty is now, however, overcome, and the reservoir wiU, 
I trust, in a few days be complete. It is fed by several springs, 
one of which rises in considerable volume from a gravel bed, and 
will lie the one made use of to supply our boxes for the next 
hatching, and as it will issue from its source at once to the boxes, 
no filtration will be necessary, nor any vegetable accumulation 
possible. 
“ I have about 500 ova deposited in a box in my garden here, 
which have been there 72 days, and most of which appear 
healthy. These I have had for the sake of daily observation, 
and to see how small a run of water might be sufficient to raise 
them. The little rill I obtain from a filtering box of gravel, 
through which it passes, averages a gallon in eight minutes, and 
all the spawn which has remained undisturbed looks healthy. 
Some have perished, I believe, solely from being handled — aud 
I must say the result of my experience so far, is directly at 
variance with former writers 011 the subject, who have declared 
that it might be handled and examined with impunity. 
“ You have now one-half of what you asked for, viz., an 
account of our proceedings at Overton. The other half, viz., 
their probable result, 1 must decline saying anything auent. 
It would take up too much room, require a summary of a vast 
variety of adverse opinions, and, after all, be purely hypothetical. 
1 prefer devoting myself to the practical experiment, anu 
leaving the result to be proved by events. If we succeed 
in doubling tho yield of salmon in the Dee, we shall have 
wrought a good work ; if we fail, our disappointment and regret 
will, at all events, bear no tinge of self-reproach. — 1 remain, 
dear , vours truly, 
William Ayrton. 
Chester, 15 th April , 1864. 
3 uy 1 
wide, each of them capable of bolding about 2,600 ova. 
The Croi's. — T he letters received from tlio provinces 
liavo of late reported some damage to have been sustained 
to a portion of the crops by reason of the Bcvero drought, 
now of about two months' duration. Tho growth of cereals 
ami other crops is generally retarded by the absence of ram. 
Manures. — The quantity of Peruvian imported last 
week was 207 tons; und exported, 785. An active dewoud 
still exists for every kind of Manure, and prices to range 
firm. Peruvian Guano is £11 to £11 10s., and Bolivia 11 
£0 10s. per ton. 
