128 THE BORDER ANGLER. 



anything like a proportionate increase in thickness, 

 but had bright scales, and exhibited a great deal of 

 restlessness in their confinement. Similar experiments 

 have been made with similar results in other parts of 

 the country. We do not know whether the fish still 

 remain in the pond. 



The old town of Selkirk, whose famous " sutors" 

 bearded the Earl of Home, has in itself no particular 

 claims as an angling station, although the Ettrick 

 immediately above it is, we believe, free, and contains 

 good trout. Below the town the river is damaged for 

 angling-purposes by the factories; but towards its 

 junction with the Tweed there are some good casts, 

 especially for roe in winter. A little above Selkirk, 

 on the north bank of the river, is the plain of Philip- 

 haugh, where Montrose was so thoroughly routed one 

 misty morning in 1643 by Sir David Leslie and his 

 Covenanters. Below Selkirk, on the south, is the 

 Shaw-burn, specified in the ballad, where Sir David 

 addressed a piece of advice to his army, about which 

 there is some little dispute : 



" When they came to the Shaw burn, 



Said he, ' Sae weel we frame, 

 I think it is convenient, 



That we should sing a psalm.' " 



its gutta-percha ticket, was found in the stomach of a cod cap- 

 tured at Eyemouth ! But although the marking has been 

 repeated annually, we do not know that in a single instance 

 a ticketed kelt has been recaught as a clean fish. A grilse 

 kelt, however, which had been marked in April 1358, was 

 captured in August of the same year. It was 2ft>s. in weight 

 when marked, and 8 Its. when killed having grown 6 ft>s. in 

 four months. 



