NOTIONS, NOTES, AND ODDS AND ENDS 161 



intimate acquaintance with, each river in 

 Scotland, or for such river or rivers as he has 

 statistics upon, great service would result to 

 our salmon legislation, and to the knowledge 

 of the habits of this valuable fish. 



Nor are migratory fish only affected by the 

 abnormal state of the present season. It is 

 well known on our west coast how late the 

 fry of many sea-fish were of appearing in 1888. 

 Thus the fry of coal-fish and lythe were 

 far later of reaching the surface above the 

 shoals, and of approaching shorewards. This 

 was perfectly evident even to the most 

 unobservant amateur sea-fishermen. Where 

 fry, in normal seasons, abounded along shore, 

 and were chased by coal-fish and lythe and 

 other species below, and fed upon by the birds 

 of the air above, that year fry seemed almost 

 absent. 



Another consequence of this state of affairs 

 is somewhat curious to relate. Arctic terns 

 approach their breeding-places first about the 

 12th May, in normal seasons, but do not 

 repair to their selected nurseries till nearly a 

 month later. They come simply the first 

 time to prospect and see, as it were, for them- 

 L 



