GROWTH OP SALMON. 237 



growing, and do grow, faster and to a larger size 

 than the young salmon of small race. When I 

 speak of large and small salmon, I refer to fish 

 which eventually become very large, and to fish 

 which, no matter what their age, will always be 

 small ; in fact, to giant and dwarf breeds. The 

 growth of salmon fry is pretty equal in all rivers ; 

 and, therefore, smolts, no matter whether they 

 are the produce of large or small salmon, will be 

 found in different rivers, not differing much in 

 size. Such is not the case, however, after the 

 smolt stage of existence. After that, the growth 

 of the offspring of large-growing salmon is more 

 rapid than that of the produce of salmon of more 

 diminutive race. The smolts of rivers which 

 produce salmon weighing forty pounds, grow faster 

 to the grilse and in the salmon state, than the 

 smolts of rivers whose largest fish do not exceed 

 twenty pounds ; and faster still than the smolts of 

 rivers, the salmon of which do not average more 

 than ten pounds in weight each. I will suppose 

 three rivers running, at short distances the one 

 from the other, into the same arm of the sea, as 

 do the Shin, the Oikel, and the Carsely, and that 

 smolts from each descend simultaneously, and 

 take up their quarters on the same feeding- 

 grounds. Again, I will suppose them returning 

 in the grilse state simultaneously to their respec- 

 tive natal rivers. It will be found that the grilse 



