68 THE LIFE OF THE SALMON 



period fish is considerably greater than appeared in 

 the earUer years of the Irish marking. In Scotland, 

 comparing the first and third groups (the second 

 group is practically a one river group, and therefore 

 in this connection of less value), we have first an 

 almost even balance of long and short absence, 

 and then the long absence becomes completely 

 ascendent. 



It is of little avail to speculate as to the nature of 

 the influence which has apparently been at work. 

 The salmon has latterly remained at home in the 

 sea, be it because he required longer time to feed up 

 through a scarcity of food, or a greater delight in an 

 abundance of food, or lack of inducement to ascend 

 the rivers, we cannot say, but it is right to notice 

 that in the Helmsdale and Brora, from which the 

 majority of returns in the 1903-1905 group come, 

 the chief fishing takes place in spring, the season 

 when long period fish are for the most part captured. 

 The condition displayed by these records can scarcely 

 be the result of accident. The Scottish records 

 cover a period of eleven years, and the Irish records 

 a period of seven years. With regard to the average 

 intervals of time in the two countries, there is little 

 difference. The short period in Scotland averages 

 almost exactly five months, in Ireland not quite 

 six months. The long period in Scotland is fully 

 fifteen and three-quarter months, in Ireland a little 

 under fifteen months. 



When the average weights of kelts are regarded, 

 it is apparent that in Scotland or Ireland no 

 difierence is noticeable either in the fish which 



