60 KENDALL: NEW ENGLAND SALMONS. 



fish had had three years of parr Ufe and one winter in the sea. The parr life of the 29- 

 inch fish was uncertain but it had clearly spent only one winter in the sea. In other 

 words these fish were grilse. The smallest fish was immature or sterile; the largest a 

 ripe male and the other a ripe female. 



In September, 1919, three salmon were taken from the fishway at Bangor. One was a 

 female 23 Vs inches long; the other two were males, each 24V5 inches long. The smallest 

 fish had apparently had two years of parr life and one winter in the sea, and was therefore 

 a grilse 3-plus years old. Each of the others had had two years of parr life and two 

 winters in the sea, making them 4-plus years old. 



As previously noted, in outer Casco Bay and vicinity salmon are frequently caught in 

 mackerel drift nets and fbced pound nets or traps. Most of the fish taken in mackerel 

 gill nets are smaU. While some small ones are also taken in the traps, often large ones 

 are caught. Most of the trap fish are taken from June 15 to July 15, but some are caught 

 as early as May and others in the fall months. The trap fishery usually begins in late 

 June and ends early in September. A few of these salmon have come to hand and scales 

 have been obtained from others. It is unfortunate that the data pertaining to all are not 

 complete, but the scales of 41 fish with most nearly complete records have been studied. 



There are five records of post-smolts, or smolts which have within the season de- 

 scended from fresh water. These were taken in July, August, and September. Their 

 lengths ranged from SVs to 11 Vs and averaged 9V5 inches. All had had two years of parr 

 Ufe and part of the summer in the sea, therefore were 2-plus years of age. 



Eleven of the grilse stage taken in May, July, and September, ranged from 1973 to 

 25 inches and averaged about 21 inches in length. Their scales showed two years of parr 

 life and one winter in the sea, which make them 3-plus years old. Five fish of the grilse 

 stage, taken in May and July, ranging from 19V6 to 25^4 inches, and averaging 2IV3 

 inches, in length, showed three years of parr life and one winter in the sea, making them 

 4-plus years old. There were also two grilse of three pounds each, accompanied by no 

 other data, which had had four years of parr Ufe and one winter in the sea. They were 

 5-plus years old. 



Thirteen salmon, taken in June and July, ranged in length from 22V5 to 35V3 and 

 averaging 3OV5 inches, showing two years of parr Ufe and two years in the sea. They 

 were therefore 4-plus years old. Seven salmon, taken in June and July, ranged in length 

 from 30 to 38 and averaged about 34 inches. Their scales showed three years of parr Ufe 

 and two winters in the sea, which makes them 5-plus years old. 



The weights of some of the foregoing were recorded, and the weights but not the 

 lengths of others were given. The weights of the five grilse, above mentioned, ranged 

 from 2V2 to four and averaged S^U pounds. The weights of six saUnon all of which had 

 two years of parr Ufe and two years in the sea, ranged from 8V2 to 20 pounds and aver- 

 aged I2V4 pounds. The weights of the class which had three years of parr life and 2-plus 

 years in the sea, ranged from 9V4 to 19^4 and averaged 13 Vs pounds. None of these fish 

 had spawned and there was nothing to indicate when they would have spawned. Of 

 the 41 fish 29 had had two years and 12 had had three years of parr Ufe. 



