NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SALMON. 47 



point might have been regarded as still open to dispute, 

 and it was, by a sort of common though tacit assent, laid 

 over for decision by the larger and complete! 1 experi- 

 ments carried on at Stormontfield. 



To the surprise if not the discomfiture of both parties, 

 Stormontfield decided both ways, or neither way. The 

 ova deposited in the end of 1853, were hatched in the 

 spring of 1854, and the produce continued in the pond as 

 parrs during the summer of that year. May 1855 was 

 the time at which the movements of the young fish must 

 decide the question. If Young was right in saying one 

 year, they would then go off ; if Shaw was right in 

 saying two years, they would still remain. The result 

 was perplexing : one-half, as nearly as could be esti- 

 mated, went off at one year old, and the other half at 

 two years (i.e., in May 1856). Here, besides both 

 parties having been proved wrong and both right, was 

 another apparent anomaly : those people who had been 

 arguing or admitting that there was something ano- 

 malous in the fish remaining two years before emigra- 

 tion, were shown something much more anomalous in 

 the fish going off in two apparently pretty equal divi- 

 sions at ages differing by a year. When it thus seemed 

 so far ascertained that only half the fish migrated, a new 

 hypothesis was brought out, to the effect that the females 

 descend the first year and the males the second. This 

 suggestion was not only supported by some curious facts 

 drawn from experience on the river Wharfe, in York- 

 shire, but it also " fitted in" to the fact, as already 

 mentioned, found by Mr. Shaw in his experiments, 

 besides agreeing with the observations of intelligent 



