History and Habits 13 



So far as my experience goes in this country 

 the size of the grilse of different rivers is about 

 the same and does not vary according to the size 

 of the parent fish, as is said to be the case in 

 Britain. The grilse of the Restigouche and 

 Metapedia, in both of which rivers the salmon 

 average fully twenty pounds, and not infre- 

 quently attain a weight of forty pounds or over, 

 are no larger than those of the Nepisiguit, 

 where the average weight will hardly exceed half 

 that of the first-named streams. Mr. Day in his 

 " British and Irish Salmonidas," quoting from 

 Professor Brown Goode, says, " The male grilse is 

 sexually mature, but not the female in America." 

 This is certainly a mistake, as female grilse are 

 known to breed in some Canadian rivers. The 

 present owner of the Godbout, Mr. Manuel, is 

 my authority for stating that on this river grilse 

 are very frequently taken with ova quite as fully 

 developed as those of salmon at the same time. 

 On the Restigouche, where I have fished for 

 nearly thirty years, I have never seen or heard 

 of a female grilse, and believe that no members of 

 the fair sex ascend that river until they become 

 salmon. John Mowat, the former head guardian 

 of the Restigouche, and an observant and intelli- 



