SIZE AND AGE OF TROUT 17 



feed out of his own and even strangers' hands. 

 The apparent size of the trout was about 

 thirteen inches or more, and weight at some- 

 what over the pound when we saw it. Mr. 

 Templeton died in July 1892, about one 

 month after we paid him a visit. 



Again, in the Howietoun ponds, as we 

 were (alas !), and are, informed on the best of 

 authorities, the age of trout or rather, we 

 should say, the age of growth in trout there 

 does not usually exceed from five to seven 

 years, but the artificial conditions must be 

 considered. Of the age and growth of trout 

 transplanted we have had various experi- 

 ences, both from natural to natural sources 

 and depositories, from artificial to artificial, 

 and from artificial to natural. Of the first, 

 viz. in several lochs and streams of Assynt, 

 we found the growth rapid under the new 

 natural conditions, but in many cases we 

 found the deterioration afterwards equally 

 rapid. That meant aged fish, perhaps not 

 larger than six to the pound when introduced, 

 feeding up fast in muscular development, 

 but, likely as not, overtaxing their constitu- 

 tions before the time when their spawning 

 B 



