SALMON. 37 



and thus it must necessarily follow that they remained 

 in salt water, one ten and the other eleven months, with 

 an increase of growth so small as to be irreconcilal)le 

 with the proof we have of the growth of the Gilse and 

 Salmon during their residence in salt water. 



Having now sent these tiresome little creatures to 

 sea, it remains to me to trace their progress till they 

 become Salmon. 



A few, but a very few of these Smolts, return from 

 the sea to the Tweed as early as the month of May ; 

 that is, during the same month in which the general emi- 

 gration takes place : they then weigh from a pound to 

 two pounds each, and are long and thin, and very forked 

 in the tail. They keep on ascending the river during the 

 summer months, the new-comers increasing afterwards 

 about a pound and a half a month on an average, but 

 much less in their very yovuig state. The most plentiful 

 season in the Tweed, if there is a flood, is about St. 

 Boswell's Fair, namely, the 18th of July, at which period 

 they weigh from four to six pounds ; and those which 

 leave the salt for the fresh Avater at the end of Septem- 

 ber, and during the month of Octoljer, sometimes come 

 up the river of the weight of ten and eleven pounds, and 

 even more. All these fish are known in the North by the 

 name of Gilses, but by the London fishmongers are ge- 

 nerally, I believe, called Salmon Peel. Some of them are 

 much larger than small Salmon ; but l)y the term Gilse 

 I mean young Salmon that have only been once to sea. 

 They are easily distinguished from Salmon by their 

 countenance and less plump appearance, and particularly 



D 3 



