NATURAL HISTOIIY OF THE 8ALM0N. 



65 



fish," and the grilse " a summer fisli," but, roundly speak- 

 ing, that sahnon come at all seasons, and grilse at only 

 one season. The assumption that salmon cease to ascend 

 in summer, is utterly inadmissible, though there are 

 some rivers where, owing to temperature and other 

 natural conditions, the statement is, in a loose sense, 

 partially true ; and we shall bring that, and some even 

 more imjDortant statements, to the test of the only au- 

 thentic figures we know of, showing the capture of the 

 different kinds of migratory Salmonidce in each month 

 of the year. The following shows the proportions of 

 salmon, of grilse, and of trout (almost entirely the Salmo 

 eriox), to every 1000 of each kind caught, on an average 

 of years, in the net-fisheries of the river Tweed : — 



There is here, in the first place, sufficient refutation of 

 the statement that the " salmon is peculiarly a spring 

 fish," and peculiarly not " a summer fish ;" for we see 

 that, on tlie Tweed at least, the months showing the 

 smallest proportions of salmon to the whole take of 

 salmon, are February, March, and April ; and the months 

 showing the largest proportion, June, July, and August. 

 But the point to which we direct attention is the 



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