52 HEELING OF THE SOLWAY FOUND IN THE T'WTEED. 



gregarious, and also the herring, to which I believe the above men- 

 tioned genus leads. 



The fish in the Solway very seldom reach 2 lb. in weight. Upon 

 their first arrival ^ lb. and f lb. is a common size, afterwards the 

 greater jiroportions average from 1 lb. to 1|- lb. One of the most 

 marked appearances of this fish, is the great proportional breadth of 

 the back, and the peculiar greyish-green colour of the upper parts. 

 This colour ajipears very CL>nspicuous when seen before the water has 

 comj^letely ebbed from the stake-nets, when the fish swim near the 

 surface ; and when small sea-trout are mixed with them, the contrast 

 is at once perceived. The distribution of this fish in Scotland, as far 

 as it can be with certainty traced, is pretty extensive ; the south and 

 west coasts, however, seem to possess the greatest abundance. Com- 

 mencing at the Solway, we meet it in great abundance as far as the 

 Dee at Kirkcudbright, from thence we lose it till the mouth of Loch 

 Awe at Loch Etian in Argyllshire, from this it is common along the 

 whole of the west coast. On the east it is plentifully found at Inver- 

 ness, and I have traced it at Peterhead, but from this point to the 

 Tweed, I have been unable to hear of it. Wales is the only district 

 in the south where it will pro! ably be found thus following the west 

 coast, and the sewin will mi*st likely prove our Scottish Idrling or 

 whiting'. It has not yet been noticed in any part of Ireland. 



Regarding this fish being occasionally found in the Tweed, it seems 

 to vary in the gregarious habit, comparatively few being met with. 

 Among the tacksmen the Solway name was not known, but upon 

 describing the fish to them, they at once referred it to their silver 

 white. The matter was, however, soon proved, by having the good 

 fortune to catch one when fishing salmon with Stevenson, the tacksman 

 of the Crown fishing. We had made frequent inquiries at the differ- 

 ent tacksmen regarding it, and when the fish rose, Stevenson at once 

 called out that it was a silverwhite, shewing that he was perfectly 

 acquainted with it. It corresponded with all the characters of the 

 Solway fish, having the same number of vertebrae, rays in the fins, and 

 gill-covers, &c. 



As far as I can learn, they are not abundant in the Tweed. They 

 are perfectly well known at Coldstream, and are taken with whitling 

 flies ; and Stevenson mentioned having once taken about fifty opposite 

 Birgham in one draft of a sweep-net. I have been unable, however, 

 to trace them farther up than Kelso, and though fishing much with 

 suitable flies, I have never seen them in the higher waters of Dry- 

 burgh or Merton. The stream of the Tweed and larger rivers may 

 probably be too heavy and powerful for them, and it is probable that 

 the great proportion of those which do enter the Tweed will diverge at 

 the spawning season to the smaller tributaries. 



