NOTES ON BRITISH SALMONID/E 87 



other they were unanimously pronounced to be male fish, 

 on account of the huge " beak " on the lower jaw which each 

 exhibited. The first was killed in the presence of the late 

 Mr. David Murray, lessee of the Dundonnel Deer Forest 

 and grasings (and an old and experienced angler as well as 

 a very shrewd observer). He, quite as a matter of course, 

 pronounced the first a male fish. Well ; we took it home and 

 cut it up to be prepared as a " kipper," when, to our astonish- 

 ment, we found it full of highly developed ova almost ready 

 for extrusion. This fish was perfectly fresh run from the sea, 

 and took the fly with a most determined rush. On the 

 23rd, exactly the same thing again occurred to Mr. Alston, 

 likewise in Mr. Murray's presence, and in either mine or 

 that of the third member of our party, Mr. Young of 

 Glendoune, and it also turned out to be a female fish full of 

 large orange fully developed ova. Like the other, this fish 

 was perfectly fresh out of the sea. When the fact of the 

 ova being found was communicated to Murray (he lived 

 less than a mile from our quarters), he recollected, once, a 

 similar experience during the nineteen years' lease he had of 

 Dundonnel. It took place in the same pool of the river. 

 These fishes would, most undoubtedly, have spawned within 

 a very few days, we consider, of the time they entered the 

 mouth of the river. Would they then have retired, as soon 

 as possible after spawning, to the tidal water or the sea ? I 

 certainly believe they would. The tidal water at the mouth 

 of the Gruinard is of very limited scope, as the river runs 

 almost directly into salt water. How, I want to ask, are 

 these huge " beaks " found upon two female fishes to be 

 accounted for, except as the development of great age in the 

 individuals? On the same river Young and I found kelted 

 sea-trout descending the water at the same time that fresh 

 run salmon were ascending ; and we also met with a " fearful 

 kelted salmon " coming down even later, viz., in June. I 

 had also landed a huge ugly kelt of 1 7 Ibs. once on the 

 Deer Pool of the river Inver as late in the season as the 25th 

 of July. Of course it was in the most disgusting stage of 

 gill-discoloration and raggedness. Had that river been 

 my own property, I would as soon have put that fish back 

 as I would have put back a pike. (Perhaps (?) some one 



