74 THE LIFE OF THE SALMON 



migration, and without any doubt the same habit 

 subsists throughout the Hfe of the salmon. When, 

 however, we reach the stage in advance of that 

 just presented, it becomes impossible without the 

 assistance of scale examination in each case to 

 identify with certainty the particular class of fish 

 marked. The weights of the summer fish last re- 

 ferred to are from 19 to 25 lb., but the weights of 

 the large Tay spring fish are, we have already seen, 

 very similar. Therefore the arbitrary selection of 

 kelts is almost certain to include both classes of fish. 

 To carry out the same system of selection is, more- 

 over, to deal with really heavy fish, which, as every 

 one who has long looked forward to the landing of 

 a thirty-pounder knows, are not to be met with 

 every day. Fish much heavier than 30 lb. are of 

 course taken from time to time, but we are approach- 

 ing the normal limits of the salmon's growth in 

 Scotland or Ireland, and heavy kelts which are 

 marked do not for the most part reappear. I can, 

 however, instance two Tay fish and one Deveron 

 fish which take us beyond 30 lb. The Tay fish 

 show the long period in the sea, and the Deveron 

 fish shows the short period, so that we may fairly 

 assume that the twofold habit obtains till a late 

 period in the salmon's life. The records are : — 



