22 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



until about the 2Oth of June, and go up to weights of from 

 5 to 6 Ibs., but they are not all big, old fish, as many are 

 young fish about 2 and 3 Ibs. On the Morar salmon run as 

 early as February, and Buckley killed six fish prior to the 

 date of 28th May 1900. I forgot to say before that, so 

 far as I could learn from the keepers and watchers on the 

 Ailort, there were no salmon to be seen " on the run " in 

 early spring nor before the middle of July ; thereafter they 

 continue to run into September a very short season. But 

 salmon do not appear to be at all abundant in Loch Eilt or 

 on the River Ailort at any time. This may well account 

 for these minor differences in this respect between the 

 histories of the two rivers. The runs of sea-trout on Morar, 

 on the other hand, are sooner over than on the Ailort ; 

 and all fishing may be considered over there by the end of 

 July. 



Buckley, whilst revising the MS. notes for this paper, 

 says : " Kelts are seen descending the Morar in February 

 and March, and salmon have been recorded up to 24 Ibs." 

 The largest I could hear of on Loch Eilt or River Ailort was 

 1 8 Ibs. (auct. Carr, the keeper, and the watchers). I have 

 not ascertained with certainty the actual dates of the descent 

 of kelts on Ailort, but I have seen kelts both of salmon and 

 sea-trout descending the Gruinard river as late as June, and 

 into the third week of that month. It may prove interest- 

 ing to ascertain whether there is any difference in the time 

 of the descent of kelts on the Ailort, which I hope to do 

 yet ; anyhow, it would appear that salmon are actually 

 descending Morar at the same time that others are ascend- 

 ing. On the Gruinard river a friend and myself were literally 

 shaking the sea-trout kelts off our salmon hooks at every 

 cast, in one pool at the foot of the " Rockies." Another 

 angler, the same day, bagged some 30 Ibs. of them in the 

 sea-pools and Garden pool 5 or 6 miles lower down, and 

 " kindly " (?) offered us some for a fry, which I hope we did 

 not too indignantly refuse. 



On the Morar, while sea-trout fishing may be said to be 

 over by the end of July, finnocks can still be got, but these 

 become smaller as the season advances beyond that time. I 

 cannot say that this was noticeable by our party on Loch Eilt 



