54 SALMONID.E. 



hooked and killed a Salmon with his former hooks and bait 

 in his mouth. This will either prove extreme voracity, or 

 little sensibility in the parts of the mouth. I have often 

 heard fishermen mention a similar fact, but never before 

 knew an instance on which I could depend." 



Several observers have borne testimony to the partiality of 

 the Salmon to the Sandlaunce as food ; and I have a record 

 by an angler of Salmon caught in the Wye with a Min- 

 now. In a prize essay published in the Transactions of the 

 Highland Society, vol. ii. page 392, Mr. Alexander Morrison 

 says, " I have taken Salmon, within flood mark, some of 

 which had two, and others three, full-sized Herrings in their 

 stomachs." 



The London season of 1835 was more than usually re- 

 markable for large Salmon. I saw ten different' fish varying 

 from thirty-eight to forty pounds each. A notice appeared 

 in the public papers of one that weighed fifty-five pounds ; 

 and, from the inquiries made, there is reason to believe most 

 of these large-sized Salmon were sent from the Tay. Sal- 

 mon, however, of much larger size have been occasionally 

 taken. Mr. Mudie has recorded one of sixty pounds. In a 

 note to the history of the Salmon in several editions of Wal- 

 ton, one is mentioned that weighed seventy pounds ; Pennant 

 has noticed one of seventy-four pounds : the largest known, 

 as far as I am aware, carne into the possession of Mr. Groves, 

 the fishmonger of Bond-street, about the season of 1821. 

 This Salmon, a female, weighed eighty-three pounds ; was a 

 short fish for the weight, but of very unusual thickness and 

 depth. When cut up, the flesh was fine in colour, and 

 proved of excellent quality. 



The Salmon of the largest size killed by angling, of which 

 I have been able to collect particulars, are, In the Thames, 

 October3, 1812, at Sheppcrton Deeps, Mr. G. Marshall, of 

 Brewer-street, London, caught and killed a Salmon with a 



