It is well known that salmon formerly abounded in Lake Champlain and its tributaries on both sides, and, with a view of determining whether the same condition of things can be restored to these waters, this experiment has been made.

DISTRIBUTION OF TROUT EGGS FROM TASMANIA TO THE
NEIGHBORING COLONIES.

The Society of Arts refers to an official report in regard to the acclimatization of trout in Tasmania, which states that in 1873 a total distribution of 4050 trout eggs was made from the rivers of that country to the neighboring colonies; 800 of these were sea trout, the rest being those of the brown trout.-23 4, June 11, 1875, 664.

IMPORTATION OF THE GOURAMI INTO PARIS.

A Paris journal announces the arrival in that city, in November last, of forty-eight gourami fish, sent to M. Carbonnier, the well-known dealer in aquarial supplies, and who has made a specialty of importing fish of this character. This gentleman now has seventy specimens in all, in thriving condition. The fish is warmly recommended for introduction into the hotter parts of the United States, especially South Carolina, Western Florida, and other sections where ice and frost are unknown.

Their special merit consists in their being fresh-water fish, of large size and great excellence of flesh, that feed entirely on vegetable matter, so that if placed in a pond with plenty of aquatic plants around them they will live and thrive without requiring any artificial means.-10 B, Dec., 1874,770.

FRENCH METHOD OF OYSTER CULTURE.

M. Crugny announces in Les Mondes that, after ten years of groping in the dark in the treatment of the great oyster banks of France, especially of Arcachon, these have entered upon a career of fertility so prodigious that Arcachon alone will soon be able to furnish oysters for the whole world, and at prices much lower than those which at present prevail. It is well known, according to Crugny, that each oyster produces, every year, spat sufficient to furnish 4,000,000 of young, but that innumerable sources of destruction greatly reduce the

yield. At the present time, in the light of more recent experiences, spat is collected on tiles previously coated with a sticky composition, to which it strongly attaches itself; while the slight adherence of this composition to the tile permits the introduction of an instrument which easily detaches the young oyster without injuring it. The spat, when it has acquired the size of a quarter-franc piece, is placed in wooden boxes covered externally with zinc, the upper opening of which is closed by a wire network of close meshes. After the oysters have increased in this inclosure, protected from every external attack, they are placed in large ditches, excavated either by the hand of man or by nature, in which at low tide there is always a sufficient depth of water to protect the young shells against the severities of the winter or the heats of the summer. Thanks to all these precautions, the oyster-culturists in France have lately been able to save a large part of their crop, and can soon, if nothing interfere, furnish excellent oysters at a cheap price.-3 B, Nov. 26, 1874, 516.

MR. C. G. ATKINS'S EXPERIMENTS ON THE ARTIFICIAL HATCHING OF THE SMELT.

Among the recent novelties in fish-culture may be mentioned the experiments made by Mr. Charles G. Atkins, at his establishment in Bucksport, Me., on the artificial hatching of the eggs of the smelt. It is not a new thing to transport the parent fish from one locality to another, and thus cause their multiplication, but Mr. Atkins is the first actually to take the eggs, impregnate them by artificial means, and bring their hatching to a successful termination. The particular variety treated by him is what is known as the Belgrade smelt, a fresh-water and land-locked species found in the Belgrade River, in Maine. It attains a very large size (for a smelt), its weight sometimes amounting to nearly a pound, and with a length of ten or twelve inches; these dimensions being, as the experienced will readily understand, very much larger than the ordinary smelt. The difficulty in hatching the eggs of this fish lies in the fact that they are adhesive, instead of being dry, as in the salmon and shad. They are covered with a tenacious mucus, which causes them to stick to the first object they touch, and prevents their treatment by the

ordinary method. Mr. Atkins, however, causes them to drop upon twigs, pieces of cocoa-matting, etc., and then subjects them to the fertilizing influence of the male. He in this way obtained about a hundred thousand from each female, the time of hatching extending over nearly a month. The young are hardy and vigorous, and will probably require five or six days for the absorption of the yolk. Mr. Atkins thinks that the conditions of success in treating the hatching of carp artificially are those which have just been mentioned, and, in addition, a strong current for the hatching and development, together with the avoidance of all jarring.

SETH GREEN'S ARTIFICIAL HATCHING OF STURGEON.

A very important experiment has just been made successfully by Seth Green on the artificial hatching of sturgeon, a subject to which he has had his attention directed for some years, but which he has not been able to carry into actual effect until 1875. No details of his experiment have yet been published; but it is understood that he has found little difficulty in breeding them, and that he has turned many thousands into the Hudson River.

The sturgeon is a very valuable fish, the flesh being not only excellent when fresh, but particularly nice when smoked. The caviare and isinglass obtained from the fish constitute important elements of its value, both of which are now manufactured in various parts of the United States on a large scale.

An incidental effect of the experiments made by Mr. Green will be the policing of the Hudson River, and keeping it free from the shad seines which now prevent the upward movement of the fish. Another season the sturgeon will probably encounter these nets, tearing them to pieces in their pas

sage.

THE NEW WESTMINSTER AQUARIUM.

Among the magnificent aquaria lately started in Europe, that of "The Royal Aquarium and Summer and Winter Gardens" at Westminster, now in process of erection, promises to be the most notable, embracing as it does in its construction the best features of the other establishments and omitting their imperfections. In size, too, and resources, it

bids fair to outrank all the others. The building on Tuthill Street is 545 feet long, from 160 to 240 feet broad at the broadest part, and 80 feet where narrowest, the height being from 60 to 80 feet. On the ground-floor is a spacious promenade, and the tanks are placed around half its length on the north side, and nearly the whole of the length of the south side. These are 31 in number: two containing about 40,000 gallons each, one of 12,000, twelve of 4000 gallons. each, two more of 1400 gallons, and fourteen each of 270 gallons. In addition there will be twelve others, not for public exhibition, but for reserve or hospital purposes, each containing about 400 gallons. The largest fifteen tanks are of masonry, forming part of the building itself. The smaller ones are of slate. The fronts of all are of plate glass, of which there will be about 2000 square feet one inch thick, and 500 feet half an inch thick, all toughened by De la Bastie's process.

Every water receptacle not made of slate is to be lined. with asphalt, and all the pipes are so placed as to be easily accessible for examination for leakages. Beneath the floor of the promenade is an enormous reservoir, looking like three railway tunnels, arched above and below, and holding in all about 700,000 gallons; and from this the water will be pumped into the tanks above at the rate of from 15,000 to 30,000 gallons per hour day and night incessantly. To guard against the stoppage of the current from accidents to the machinery, the steam-engines and boilers are doubled. The boilers are much larger than needed by the steam-engines, as the former will be used also to warm the building in winter. The water in the tanks will take its temperature from that in the reservoir, and always at a mean between that of the surrounding air of summer and winter. There are eight pumps-four for sea and four for fresh water; and these pumps, with all pipes, taps, valves, gratings, and jets, are to be of vulcanite or hard India rubber. Metal in any form would corrode in time and gradually poison the water, which it is proposed to use indefinitely without change, since, singular as it may seem, the longer a large mass of water is used for aquarium purposes the better it appears to be.

The great reservoir is divided into nine compartments,

with an arrangement to enable any one or more to be isolated and emptied for examination without wasting any water or interrupting the circulation. This, by reason of its great dimensions, and also by reason of its coolness and darkness and the absence of life in it, will keep the entire aquarium arrangement in good order, since the water will be constantly flowing in and out of it. It will travel a distance of nearly three miles between the beginning and end of its circuit, in the course of which a portion (about one tenth) will be lifted about seven feet, and be made to enter each tank with force through fine jets, which will carry air into the tanks in a finely divided state. The total quantity of water in use, including that in the proposed fountain basins, will be nearly a million gallons, of which about three fourths will be sea-water, to be brought from Brighton in casks by Mr. W. Hudson, at the rate of a railway train of twelve trucks full every day for six months.

Mr. A. Bedborough is the architect, Messrs. Lucas are the builders, Messrs. Leete, Edwards, & Norman furnish the machinery and circulating apparatus, Messrs. Doulton & Co. supply the ornamental tiles. The rock work is furnished by Mr. Wills; Professor R. V. Tuson is the chemist of the establishment, the whole being under the direction of Mr. Lloyd himself, well known from his connection with the Hamburg establishment and others which he has organized. For the proper supply of animals for this and other aquaria, it is contemplated to arrange two traveling aquaria-one for Great Britain and the other for the Continent-to convey living marine animals from the Naples aquarium, where a great variety of species can always be had. According to Mr. Lloyd, the old-fashioned plan of maintaining a proper supply of oxygen for the animals in aquaria, by the introduction of living plants, is practically inapplicable to large establishments, the true theory being that of keeping the water cool and clear, and properly charged with atmospheric air in a large, dark reservoir.

In addition to the aquarial display at Westminster, there will be a picture and fine art gallery, and accommodations for flower shows, etc. Musical entertainments will also be given. Mr. Lloyd protests against the admission of the lungbreathing aquatic animals, such as seals, porpoises, and the