SMOLTS 7 



that artificial feeding can still further induce very- 

 marked differences. 



In all rearing ponds in Scotland, however, the 

 smelt assumes the migratory dress at two years of 

 age, although it commonly attains to the size of 

 the natural or wild smolt before that period. This 

 is strong presumptive evidence that the smolt 

 naturally lives and feeds in our rivers for two years 

 after hatching, and that it then is ready to go to 

 the sea. Several attempts have been made to pre- 

 vent the descent of smolts, so as to produce land- 

 locked salmon. In most cases the attempts have 

 failed, owing chiefly to the disappearance or death of 

 the fish, as in the experiments of Messrs. Morgan and 

 Pell in South Wales and of Dr. Murie in the ponds 

 of the Zoological Gardens. At Howietoun greater 

 success ultimately attended experiments made in 

 this direction, for although many smolts jumped 

 from the ponds and perished, so that the ponds had 

 to be netted over to preserve the remainder, a fish 

 was ultimately reared which was fertile and which 

 spawned, and from which fry were reared.* The 

 resulting specimen, however — the one fish which 

 spawned — which was described as a grilse, was a 

 very poor apology for a grilse as we properly under- 

 stand this sprightly young salmon. The largest fish 

 which is figured is ill-shaped, spotted, and with the 

 parr marks still evident, and weighed only 1|- lb. 

 It may resemble in some measure the land-locked 

 salmon of the American lakes or of Sweden, but it is 

 a poor thing to call a grilse, and forms in my opinion 



" Daj', Trans. Linn. Soc, 2nd ser. '' Zoology," vol. ii. part 15. 



