40 THE LIFE OF THE SALMON 



the purpose of marking fish, and at such times we 

 find grilse of both sexes continuing to ascend, and 

 invariably spawning or about to spawn. We have 

 never found any grilse which having entered the 

 river are to be regarded as non-spawners. The 

 second hypothesis, on the other hand, seems borne 

 out by all evidence of direct observation. The scale 

 of the small spring salmon is very like a grilse 

 scale in this, that a continuous sojourn in the sea is 

 stamped upon it, yet the fish seems to be the same 

 age as the grilse kelt. The scale of a 7 lb. fish of 

 this class is figured in Plate III. of Mr. Johnston's 

 paper on " The Scales of Tay Salmon." * When refer- 

 ence is made to the tables showing the lines of growth 

 after smolt descent (pp. 70 and 71), we notice that 

 whereas in the second year grilse scales show^ — in 

 May 7, in June 10-15, in July 14-21, and in August 

 17-25, i.e., an extreme range of 7-25 lines; the 

 small spring fish does not show less than 20, and in 

 February, March, and April has from 26 to 31 lines. 

 In other words, the small spring fish does not exhibit 

 a paucity of lines, which is readily explained in the 

 case of the grilse owing to the cessation of feeding 

 and the ascent of fresh water. This evidence is in 

 my opinion a strong corroboration of the view that 

 the small spring fish has not been in the river as a 

 grilse, but has passed the usual grilse stage in the sea. 

 In the spring of this year, however (1907), evidence 

 has been obtained which may be said to settle finally 

 the problem of the small spring fish. This valuable 



* Twenty-third Annual Report, Fishery Board for Scotland, 

 Part II. Appendix II. 



