NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SALMON. 61 



in every round. In fact, the combat is too like a " cross." 

 " H." appears to us rather too amiable a person to deal 

 on anything like equal terms with a man so terribly in 

 earnest as " M." is about grilse. Struck by the incom- 

 petence of "H./' and actuated by the impulse which 

 leads generous minds to sympathize with the weaker 

 party, we shall step for a little into " H.'s" shoes, and 

 see if we cannot make a better fight of it. Having put 

 ourselves in training by going through a course of the 

 evidences, we feel stimulated to the resolution of im- 

 ploring Dundonnell to bear with us whilst we attempt 

 to show, to his entire dissatisfaction, that, after all, he 

 and the Tweed Committee are quite wrong, and the re- 

 mainder of his fellow -creatures quite right. 



It is strange that there should be room left for a 

 doubt on the subject ; or that, if there be room, the 

 doubt should not have been raised until these latter 

 days. It is true that a few " practical fishermen," here 

 and there, have been known to whisper the heresy which 

 Mr. Mackenzie first publicly preached, and which has 

 now been (nominally) adopted by the Tweed Commis- 

 sioners ; but none of these early and obscure perverters' 

 of the faith were known to have given intelligible 

 reasons for differing from their neighbours. 



On the other hand, it must be admitted that, owing 

 mainly perhaps to the want of any formidable opposi- 

 tion, our naturalists have rather assumed, than proved 

 or tested, the common theory ; and let us say, as a fact 

 which will be forced upon any one who takes a run back 

 over the writings of naturalists on the Salmonidoe during 

 the last thirty years, that there has been an appalling 



