26 THE SPORTING FISH 



currents, they drop gradually down the river, 

 unless on the occurrence of a heavy flood, which 

 sweeps them at once into the sea. On meeting 

 with the tide they remain for two or three days in 

 the brackish water to fit them for their change of 

 habits, and then go off to the sea altogether. 



What becomes of the young fish after reaching 

 the ocean is at present a matter of conjecture. 

 What we do know positively is, that in from six to 

 eight weeks a number return to the same river 

 with an increase in weight of 2 to 5 lbs., and 

 that many of the fry marked when migrating as 

 Smolts in May and June, were sold in the London 

 markets as Grilse in July, August, and September. 

 It is a fair point for conjecture, and would be an 

 interesting subject for future experiment, whether 

 the Grilse returning the same season may not 

 consist principally of the two-year-old Smolts, and 

 so on ; or whether, should this prove not to be the 

 case, these older Smolts may not represent the 

 larger-sized Grilse, and the younger fish the smaller 

 ones. 



Of the habits and food of the Salmon in its 

 various stages whilst in the sea we know little. 

 In his evidence before the Select Committee of 

 the House of Lords in i860, Professor Ouekett 

 stated it as his opinion that Salmon travelled some 

 distance along the coasts, and probably into deep 

 water, in search of the ova of the Echinus or Sea 

 Urchin — a species commonly inhabiting a depth 



