The Salmon 49 
year and weighed 35 Ibs., although it was more than a year younger 
than the one just caught, the difference in weight being due to the 
fact that the younger one had not spawned. The weight of the 
present one was reduced while spawning, and had to be made up again. 
We show a print of the scales of this fish (Fig. 43), which is 
very interesting. Before going down to the sea as a smolt it would 
have the usual number of rings on the scale, viz. 32. While in the sea 
it put on 43 rings, but during the four months it was up the river no 
further increase took place. From its second return to the sea in 
March until its capture, other 20 rings were added. If 5 be added for 
the time the fish was in fresh water we get 100; now divide this by 
16 and it gives 6 and 4 over, which, according to my 16-rings-a-year 
principle, gives 6} years, which, as we already know, is the exact age 
of the fish. The age can also be ascertained by noting the winter and 
summer marks on the scales, but as marks are made during summer 
and resemble winter marks, it is not reliable and constantly leads to 
mistakes. The counting of the rings, therefore, is by far the most 
reliable way of telling the age of a fish and the time of its coming 
from and going to the sea. I have on many occasions proved this by 
marking fish at various times. 
On 8th July 1909 we got another wired tish of the same marking, 
a female of 283 Ibs. It had returned to the river and gone to the sea 
at the same time as the last one, but had come up the river again 
three days later. On examining the scales I find the numbers at the 
various stages to be 32, 43, 20; and adding 5 for the time it spent in 
fresh water we have again the total of 100. Another marked fish, 
weighing 36 lbs., captured on 2nd August, had the same number of 
rings. Besides these three fish we have, during the last few days, 
been capturing others similar that have not been marked. 
HABITS OF THE SALMON 
Salmon run at all seasons of the year. In large rivers like the 
Tay the clean winter or spring fish begin to run early in October. 
They do not spawn until the following year, thus being thirteen 
H 
