The Salmon 49 



year and weighed 35 Ibs., although it was more than a year younger 

 than the one just caught, the difference in weight being due to the 

 fact that the younger one had not spawned. The weight of the 

 present one was reduced while spawning, and had to be made up again. 



We show a print of the scales of this fish (Fig. 43), which is 

 very interesting. Before going down to the sea as a smolt it would 

 have the usual number of rings on the scale, viz. 32. While in the sea 

 it put on 43 rings, but during the four months it was up the river no 

 further increase took place. From its second return to the sea in 

 March until its capture, other 20 rings were added. If 5 be added for 

 the time the fish was in fresh water we get 100; now divide this by 

 1 6 and it gives 6 and 4 over, which, according to my i6-rings-a-year 

 principle, gives 6^ years, which, as we already know, is the exact age 

 of the fish. The age can also be ascertained by noting the winter and 

 summer marks on the scales, but as marks are made during summer 

 and resemble winter marks, it is not reliable and constantly leads to 

 mistakes. The counting of the rings, therefore, is by far the most 

 reliable way of telling the age of a fish and the time of its coming 

 from and going to the sea. I have on many occasions proved this by 

 marking fish at various times. 



On 8th July 1909 we got another wired fish of the same marking, 

 a female of 28^ Ibs. It had returned to the river and gone to the sea 

 at the same time as the last one, but had come up the river again 

 three days later. On examining the scales I find the numbers at the 

 various stages to be 32, 43, 20; and adding 5 for the time it spent in 

 fresh water we have again the total of 100. Another marked fish, 

 weighing 36 Ibs., captured on 2nd August, had the same number of 

 rings. Besides these three fish we have, during the last few days, 

 been capturing others similar that have not been marked. 



HABITS OF THE SALMON 



Salmon run at all seasons of the year. In large rivers like the 

 Tay the clean winter or spring fish begin to run early in October. 

 They do not spawn until the following year, thus being thirteen 



