242 THE RIVER-SIDE NATURALIST. 



peculiar perforation in the caudal fin with a pair of small 

 nipping-irons constructed for the purpose. In the months 

 of June and July (mark how short the time) he caught a 

 considerable number on' their return to the rivers, all in the 

 grilse state, and varying from 3 to 8 Ibs., according to 

 length of their sojourn in the sea. Again, in 1842, similar 

 experiments led to similar results. 



In the Stormontfeld experiments, Mr. Brown, in May 

 1855, marked 1300 smolts by cutting off the adipose fin. 

 Twenty-two of these were recaptured as grilse the same 

 summer : the first on July 7, weighing 3 Ibs. ; the last on 

 August 14, weighing 8 Ibs. ; the remaining varying between 

 these two weights. On the other hand, some remain in 

 the sea much longer. The Duke of Roxburghe, in May 



1855, had a smolt marked by the insertion of a peculiar- 

 shaped wire through the gills; it was retaken on July 21, 



1856, as a grilse, weighing 6^ Ibs. The late Frank Buck- 

 land was of opinion that some of the smolts stay one, or 

 even two, years in the sea. " Grilse," he says, " have even 

 been captured of the extraordinary weight of 14 Ibs.," &c. 

 11 Such a striking augmentation of size has in all probability 

 resulted from the operation of various causes, a longer stay 

 than usual on the feeding-grounds, or a richer or more 

 abundant supply of food, &c." We ourselves, in August 

 1855, caught a grilse in the Lady Saltoun Pool, on the 

 Ness, weighing 12 Ibs., and one was taken in 1867 in the 

 Tweed of 14^ Ibs. 



For further information on this interesting subject, we 

 would refer our readers to the very copious notes in Day's 

 " British and Irish Salmonidae." 



The following letter appeared in Land and Water, 

 March 10, 1888, doubting the great increase in size and 

 weight of the smolt to the grilse in a few months, at least 

 in Devonshire ; but are not the fish termed " peel " by 

 Mr. Pike sea-trout and not salmon ? and is not the 

 salmon-peel, salmon-trout, the same as the sea-trout, S. 

 trutta ? 



" SIR, What is a grilse ? at what age and size is it 



