22 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



Nemaehilus barbatulus {Linn.) — The Loach (Locally " Beardie "). 

 — Common and generally distributed. 



Clupea alosa, Linn. — The Allis Shad (Locally " Rock 

 Herring "). — Pretty common about the mouths of the rivers in 

 June. 



Salmo salar, Linn. — The Salmon. — In value and importance 

 Salmon far outweigh all our other fish interests put together. 

 But the constant flow of law cases arising out of disputes and 

 claims and law-breaking in the Salmon fisheries is a real public 

 scandal, and unsatisfactory to everybody except the lawyers. 

 The late Frank Buckland would have found a very large number 

 of people here to agree with him, if in his famous statement that 

 " more lies have been told about the pike than about any other 

 fish in the world " he had substituted " Salmon " for " pike ! " 



Some of the modes of Salmon fishing practised in the 

 Solway, such as by the haaf net and shoulder net, are peculiar 

 to the district, and have been in use from time immemorial. 

 The old mode of pursuit on horseback as described in 

 " Redgauntlet " is obsolete, although a few old persons still 

 remember, and are fond of relating stories of, the time when 

 it was in daily operation. " Burning the water " still occurs, but 

 only as a rather rare and very lawless proceeding in some 

 lonely out-of-the-way place. 



Solway fishermen always speak of Salmon as "Fish," and 

 almost invariably with a peculiar deferential tone of voice. 

 Thus I asked one on a certain occasion what luck he had this 

 morning ? His answer was " A' had twae stanes o' fleuks, a 

 skate, about a dizzen o' herrin, some codlins, and three Fish ! " 



I must not omit to remark that Shaw's almost classic 

 researches on the life-history of the Salmon, which threw so 

 much light on an obscure subject, were made in the upper 

 waters of the Nith. 



Salmo fario, Linn. — The Trout. — It is most interesting to study 

 out the various types and varieties of Trout to be met with, but 

 the matter need not be entered into in the present connection. 

 Suffice it to say that almost every little stream has its own 

 peculiar variety. A very fine variety, distinguished by pink 

 flesh and large spots, is peculiar to Loch Skene, an isolated 

 mountain loch at an elevation of about iooo feet at the head 

 of Moffat dale. The Trout of the streams running into Loch 

 Ken are also distinguished by large spots and superior weight, 

 fish up to 10 and 12 lbs. being caught occasionally. The Trout 

 of Lochs Kindar and Lochinvar are extremely like (if they are 

 not identical with) true S. Ieve?iensis. Trout of similar character 

 are found in Loch Skerrow and also in the small loch at 



