FOOD-SUPPLIES AND RELEVANT MATTERS 135 



The larger fish were in worse condition at 

 the end of May than they were in at the 

 beginning of April. 



The markedly thin condition also of a 

 small salmon (fresh run), which was taken 

 on the Deveron on 16th May, is also curious. 

 It was excellent to eat and perfectly curdy, 

 but it had not been well fed in the sea whence 

 it came. 



The first grilse taken in the nets was at 

 the easternmost net station of the coast on 

 the 21st May, and weighed only one and a 

 half pounds, and only two had been taken 

 at Gordonston, the heavier only weighing 

 three pounds. Continuous gales of north- 

 east wind and roaring surf made net-fishing 

 a failure. We heard of all the returns 

 officially supplied to our landlord, who has 

 taken so much leading interest and cost in 

 having the cruive-dykes removed in the 

 Duff House policies. 



Now, in the event of a succession of such 

 seasons as 1898, it seems almost certain that 

 trout would come to feed more and more 

 upon the bottom, on miniature forms of 

 insect-food or other less sustaining items. 



