80 THE LIFE OF THE SALMON 



so (unless the female is a large one) in fertilising the 

 ova of one female, but, like blackcock among birds, are 

 somewhat catholic in their temporary attachments. 

 That a partially spent or completely spent kelt may 

 on occasion descend to the sea and ascend another 

 river has been evidenced on more than one occasion. 

 The Spey to Dee fish already referred to is an in- 

 stance ; another Spey fish a male of 30^- lb. 

 after being handled at the Fochabers hatchery, 

 turned up again in the Deveron in three months as 

 a kelt, believed to be not yet completely spent, 

 weighing 28 lb. 



It is rather striking that the fish which show 

 those pecular reascents are male fish which have 

 been a good deal handled and stripped at hatcheries, 

 and in all probability the descent and reascent would 

 not have taken place in this apparently unnatural 

 manner had the fish paired and spawned and pos- 

 sibly again paired without interference. A marked 

 example of this peculiarity is seen in a fish which, 

 like D 95, was conveyed to a pond and retained for 

 hatchery purposes at Sandside. It was caught in 

 the sea during the fishing season of 1905, and held 

 up in fresh water till spawning time. It was 

 stripped (a male), marked on January 15, 1906, and 

 turned loose in a small stream not far from the 

 hatchery. As is well known, no kelt seems to care 

 to remain in a small stream for any length of time, 

 and we are therefore not surprised to learn that the 

 fish went to the sea without delay ; but this fish was 

 captured up the river Thurso, fourteen miles up, in 

 sixteen days. A frightened creature commonly and 



