Transactions. 33 



few years ago the herrings did not visit a particular part of the 

 coast at the accustomed time, and hardly any salmon were to be 

 got, although they were usually very plentiful in the herring 

 season. In the summer we had a good many young herrings in 

 the Solway. I have taken them by dredging and otherwise. It 

 was a curious fact tliat the herring, w^hich used to be so abundant 

 as a mature fish in the Solway, should have left it entirely, 

 although immense quantities were found in the sea just outside 

 the Firth, and the young herrings still visited the Firth itself. 

 These were found in large numbers along the shore, wliere the 

 salmon ai-e most plentifully caught. The return of the salmon to 

 the rivers was an exceedingly important economic question. 

 During the autumn, when they ran up the rivers to spawn, they 

 did not feed, or fed very little, subsisting during tliat season on 

 the fat which they had laid on wliile in the sea. The same thing 

 was observed in regard to domesticated fish. As soon as we 

 reached October, those fish wliich spawn at that season had almost 

 ceased to feed ; but tlie occupants of otlier ponds, whicli 

 spawned about January, went on feeding until liard frost set in, 

 and the water became very low in temperature. Fish, being 

 cold-blooded animals, went into a more or less torpid condition 

 during cold weather. Tench buried themselves in the mud at the 

 bottom, and lay there. 



Every angler is familiar with the influence which an appi'oaching 

 thunderstorm has in preventing fish from rising. Fish often do 

 not rise when the barometer is falling, whereas wlien we had a 

 steady rise in the barometer, with the wind from the west, a good 

 run of salmon was often noticed in west coast rivers. But when 

 the barometer reached 29 50 inches the run ceased. It has also 

 been observed that they run better in west coast rivers when tlie 

 barometer is lower on tlie west coast than on the east coast. 

 When it was rising and readied 29 inches, the best run occurred; 

 and from 29 to 2950 seemed to be the most favourable point. 

 Temperature is also an important factor in connection with the 

 migration of fish, I believe, of all kinds. It must generally 

 happen that the temperature of the river difiered from that of the 

 sea or the estuary. Many writers have remarked that the low 

 temperature of the sea induced the salmon to leave it and seek 

 the higher temperature of our rivers. This has been particularly 

 remarked about our North Sea and east coast rivers, which are 

 earlier than those on the west coast. Fish culture has taught us 



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