208 THE BORDER ANGLER. 



scour the pools in pursuit of food or amusement." It 

 is not until about the middle of March that they begin 

 to " mend" and regain condition. It is acutely re- 

 marked 



" I have observed on several occasions, that when kelts 

 caught in the Whitadder in the months of February and March, 

 have been taken down that river and set at liberty at Berwick 

 Bridge, instead of their proceeding to sea, they have returned 

 up the river ; and numerous instances occurred of their being 

 retaken six or seven miles higher up than where they had been 

 set at liberty, showing that they will not enter the salt water 

 until they have acquired sufficient strength to enable them to 

 escape from their numerous marine enemies, and affording in 

 my humble opinion an additional proof (if such were needed) 

 that salmon are not adapted by nature to perform the operation 

 of depositing their ova in the sea." 



Another result never before obtained in the Tweed 

 was the capture of clean fish which had been marked 

 as kelts. A salmon thus caught was found to have 

 increased in two months from 9 flbs, to 131bs., and a 

 grilse kelt, 2ft>s. in weight when marked on the 31st 

 of March, was retaken on the 2d of August as an 8-ft>, 

 salmon. The returns were, however, very few. Of 

 30 foul salmon marked, 2 were retaken clean; of 28 

 foul grilse marked, 1 was retaken as a salmon ; of 571 

 bull-trouts marked, not one had been heard of. Pos- 

 sibly these fish might not return until the net-season 

 was closed. 



i'rintcd by ROBERT HAKDIE & Co., Edinburgh. 



