NOTES ON BRITISH SALMONIDJi 23 



to any appreciable extent ; but then it must be remembered 

 that we left there on the i st of August. 



Now, one other remark should be made regarding both 

 these rivers in the season of 1900. Both Buckley and 

 I observed what poor state all the sea-trout and even the 

 finnocks, usually so curdy and delicious, were in. Though 

 beautiful as ever and apparently in fine condition, they were 

 utterly devoid of any curd between the flakes. In fact, no 

 improvement in this respect was traceable until the last two 

 or three days of July on our water. Also, in fact perfectly 

 demonstrable, these fish did enter these rivers before they had 

 attained to perfect condition. Of what we may learn from 

 the facts given above, I may have more to say. 



Meanwhile I will make a few remarks, as shortly as 

 possible, to try whether any things of real interest can be 

 garnered from the above main statements. 



First, it seems to me that the earlier spawning of these 

 large, old sea-trout in September having come up in March 

 and April goes to indicate, if I may not say prove, that 

 these constitute, not an early run of the coming season, but a 

 late run of the passing season. If I have not clearly explained 

 what I mean, I may try to do so in another way, thus 

 These old fish are the last of the run of the season of 1899- 

 1900, and not an early run, except as regards the calendar, of 

 the year 1900. Still, in other words, the old, big fish are the 

 west coast representatives of the autumn runs of most east 

 coast rivers. And the summer runs on west coast rivers as 

 a rule, are equivalent to the spring runs on such rivers as 

 the Dee, Deveron, Spey, etc. etc. 



The consideration of the causes of these differences in 

 the times of the runs, on the east coast and on the west, 

 as well as the runs inter se of the rivers of the same coast, 

 is also a part of this inquiry ; but I reserve any discussion 

 of the facts until a later portion of these " Notes." 



Next, the significance of the relationship between the 

 several different runs of fish upon the same river touched 

 upon slightly already requires further consideration and 

 elucidation ; and thereby I believe one or two important 

 points can be brought out, later, in the natural history of the 

 Salmonids. 



