158 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



expulsion of the ova. After being for some time occupied in this way, I have 

 seen the male fish, who all the time closely attended (and seemed intent on driving 

 off the number of trout who were on the watch to snap up the pea), come and take 

 the place of the female, and remain on the pit for five or six minutes, and I have 

 not the slightest doubt but that he, during that time, ejected a portion of his milt 

 on the ova already deposited. As for the males leaving the rivers together, I 

 know they do not, any more than the females ; and both drop down the rivers 

 slowly, and at intervals — a flood greatly hurries their journey back to the sea. Mr. 

 Ffennell remarks that the clean fish which occur in the Caragh river and lake, in 

 the month of January, spawned the following November. Now, I would like to 

 know when they spawned, previous to the time of their appearance as clean or 

 spring fish in the month of January ? If November was the time, then they had 

 but two months to spawn, go to the sea, and return spring fish. I think it would 

 not be very easy to pass for a clean run fish, one that was full of ova two months 

 before. It would also seem by Mr. Ffennell's theory that the fish which remained 

 all the summer in the lake and river must have been all females ; as, according to 

 his idea, the males do not arrive until after the summer had passed, and the spawn- 

 ing time had come. Now, it is notorious that during the summer fish (both peal 

 and salmon), of both sexes, are continually ascending the rivers ; and can it be 

 possible that, after the close season commences, all the males turn back and remain 

 in the sea or estuaries until the time for continuing their species arrives ? I per- 

 fectly agree with Mr. Andrews that fish remaining all the summer in the fresh 

 water are not in a healthy state for spawning ; every angler knows that even the 

 spring fish, after being in the river for any length of time, become discoloured ; 

 and the longer they remain in the fresh water the more they deteriorate, both in 

 appearance and quality. But as for the male fish leaving the river en masse, I do 

 not credit it at all ; I know they do not in the Bandon river, as I every year take 

 them quite as late in the spring as the spent pea-fish, both having the appearance 

 resulting from a lengthened stay in the fresh water. Mr. Andrews was quite cor- 

 rect in styling the Bandon a late river, and that fish were in good condition late in 

 the season. It would, I think, vastly contribute to the increase of salmon in that 

 river, if the close season continued for at least fifteen days longer ; and, at the 

 same time, I think the open season might, with the greatest safety, be continued 

 until the middle of October. I killed two salmon on the 29th of September last, 

 and I never saw or eat better fish — one was a male and the other a female ; the 

 pea in the latter was not larger than snipe shot. I am, therefore, of opinion that 

 it is not fair to close the Bandon and other late rivers, nor open them, at the same 

 time as rivei'S in which the fish spawn earlier ; in fact, the principal spawning time 

 in the Bandon is from the 12th of January to the end of February." 



Mr. Andrews said that he was fully prepared to make many comments on the va- 

 luable statement that Mr. Williams had just submitted, as well as upon any dis- 

 cussion that might arise ; but he agreed with the chairman, that the time of the 

 evening did not admit discussion, notwithstanding the vast importance of the sub- 

 ject. He regretted the absence of Mr. Ffennell, who, he was sure, would clear up 

 any of the points in discussion. Mr. Andrews did not consider that the Society 

 had anything to do with the legal question of the periods of the close or open 

 seasons ; it was the natural history and habits of the salmon it had to deal with. 

 Mr. Andrews always placed great importance on the knowledge of practical men ; 

 and where science could be combined with such knowledge, there were no diffi- 

 culties of the subject that could not be unravelled. There was, however, one class 

 Mr. Andrews did not consider useful — non-practical philosophers; their names 

 gave weight to their opinions ; but he had seen some writings upon subjects where, 

 through the want of that practical knowledge, scientific errors had been culled and 

 perpetuated, to the injustice of the subject. In early days Mr. Andrews had been 

 much devoted to fly-fishing, and had been well trained on the Slaney, under the 

 guidance of old Foley, of Newtown barry, who had not his equal as a salmon- 

 fisher ; and in our western rivers he had long experience with his companion, James 

 O'Gorman, a first-rate salmon-fisher, and son of the famous O'Gorman, who wrote 

 the "Practice of Angling in Ireland." 



The meeting was then adjourned to the month of June. 



