THE SPAWNING PERIOD 173 



It spent the winter uf 1909-1910 in tlie sea, or rather, I beHeve, in the 

 estuarial waters of the Levcn, without spawning, and also the winter 

 1910-1911 in the sea without spawning-. It spawned hrst in autumn 

 191 1, a seeond time in 1912, a third time m 1913 as we know, and a 

 fourth time in 1914, as we also know. The evidence here, partly- 

 direct and partly indirect, pomts to spawning in four consecutive years. 



4. In Fig. 58 is shown the scale of an old cock fish weighing 4I lb., 

 which was caught m Loch Lomond by m)- friend. Sir James Hayes- 

 Sadler, on Augu.st II, 1914. He very kindly gave me some scales 

 which Mr. Hutton has interpreted for me and one of which photo- 

 graphed by him is here reproduced. The scale indicates, I think 

 without question, that the fish spawned in five consecutive seasons, or 

 at least spawned in four and was on its way to spawn for the fifth time. 



5. In Fig. 59, as showing an extreme case, I am able through the 

 courtesy of Mr. Hutton, to submit the scale of a sea-trout which 

 weighed I ii lb., caught by him in the river Osen, Norway. This scale 

 makes it fairly clear that the fish had spawned in seven consecutive 

 seasons. I reproduce a photograph (Fig. 60) of the fish itself as it is 

 a specially beautiful specimen of a large sea-trout. 



Taking now the whole series of 45 sets of scales of Loch Lomond 

 lish I find that 16 show evidence <jf repeated spawning thus :— 



In 2 consecutive years 5 Hsh 



I" 3 „ „ 6 „ 



I'l 4 „ „ , 



In 5 „ „ 2 



E.xamining Mr. Hutton's sets of scales from other waters I find : — 



(i) In regard to 6 South Uist fish (Scotland) evidence of repeated 

 spawning in 2 instances, thus : — 



In 2 consecutive years 2 fish. 



(2) In regard to 17 Wye fish (England) evidence of repeated 

 spawning in 2 instances, thus :— 



In 3 consecutive years 2 fish. 



