112 THE LIFE OF THE SALMON 



contribute a paper to the Fishery Board's Reports, 

 which paper was published in 1902. 



The main point is, however, that food is not taken 

 in any regular manner in fresh water, and that the 

 fish is in no sense nourished. In support of this ic 

 may be added that the marking and recapture of 

 clean run fish during their stay in fresh water has 

 invariably shown a loss of weight. I think, more- 

 over, that it is right here to add that those who 

 in our country corroborated the results of Hoek and 

 Meischer in this matter expressly stated, when they 

 demonstrated the non-feeding of fish in fresh water, 

 that much depended on what is meant by the word 

 " feeding." The " taking " of fly, minnow, or worm 

 was freely admitted, and it was also admitted that 

 worms and other objects were occasionally swal- 

 lowed.* The interpretation of "feeding" (Report, 

 p. 170) was the " digestion, absorption, and utilisa- 

 tion of material by the body." Some reference to 

 this seems necessary, for so many appear, by their 

 criticisms, to have supposed that, by declaring salmon 

 did not feed in fresh water, Hoek, Meischer, Noel 

 Paton, Kingston Barton, and others meant that the 

 taking of the angler's lure had no connection with 

 feeding. The Jock Scott or Silver Doctor may 

 certainly be like nothing in the heavens above or the 

 earth beneath, but the minnow or gudgeon is after 

 all a fish, even though it smacks of formalin. Such 

 lures are found by experience to attract the salmon, 



* In 1885 a small trout was taken from the stomach of a grilse 

 caught in the river Thurso, and sent by Mr. Robertson to the Field 

 office. 



