MATURITY 



141 



early spring are kelts. I have the numbers caught in our nets on the 

 Tay for the last eight years." Then in giving statistics he continues, 

 " On the 5th February of this year (1908) we caught more sea-trout at 

 one station — Almond Mouth — in one day than we had caught in a 

 month in some other seasons. Since then they have greatly increased, 

 and we are now (24th April, 1908) getting from icxD to 120 daily, all in 

 perfect condition, averaging i^lbs. in weight. None of these have 

 spawned, although all will spawn this season." His final dictum is : — 

 " These sea-trout are now a little over three years of age, and are on 

 their second return from the sea." With deference I cannot conceive 

 how with this explanation they can be on a second return from the sea. 

 How Mr. Malloch can hasten the descent of the whitling, bring them 

 into condition by a trip of " three or four months " out to sea, and have 

 them ready to ascend the river again by 5th February it is a little difficult 

 to comprehend. If it had occurred to him that the whitling do not all 

 ascend to fresh water at once, he would have seen, I think, that those 

 early running fish so caught in the Tay were really members of that 

 body of whitling which elected to remain over winter in the sea, possibly, 

 as I have suggested, along with some fish which had remained for two 

 or more years in the sea without spaw^ning, and were consequently fish 

 on a first return from the sea. 



Assuming that I am correct in my surmise that many of them are 

 maiden sea-trout now on a first ascent more and more of these fish will 

 continue to run, some of them right up to the spawning season. When 

 that process is over, and another winter has come and gone, the fish as 

 kelts, will drop down to the estuary in the spring months, the last of 

 them disappearing from fresh water some time in May. 



Meantime the detachment of whitling that did run and thereafter 

 returned to the estuary proceeds to recuperate its energies by marine 

 feeding, but there can be little doubt that the individuals which comprise 

 the detachment are not in condition to re-ascend, as mature fish to 



