38 SALMON. 



by the diminished size of the part of the body next to 

 the tail, which also is more forked than that of the 

 Salmon. They remain in fresh water all the autumn 

 and winter, and spawn at the same time Avith the Salmon, 

 and in the manner Avhich I have already described. They 

 return also to sea in the spring with the Salmon. It 

 seems worthy of remark, that Salmon are oftentimes 

 smaller than moderate-sized Gilse ; but although such 

 Gilse have only been once to sea, yet the period they have 

 remained there must have exceeded the two short visits 

 made by the small Salmon, and hence their superiority 

 of size. 



When these fish return to the river from their second 

 visit to the sea, they arc called Salmon, and are greatly 

 altered in their shape and appearance ; the body is more 

 full, and the tail less forked, and their countenance 

 assumes a diiferent aspect. 



It has formerly been suggested that the Gilse was a 

 separate species from the Salmon ; but they have been 

 proved to be one and the same by very conclusive testi- 

 mony. Many years ago, when I was on the Tweed, two 

 were put in a salt pond by Mr. Beriy : one of them was 

 found dead, and supposed to have killed himself by 

 rushing against a stake ; the other Avas taken out some 

 time afterwards a complete Salmon. But I shall men- 

 tion a recent experiment, made by a tacksman on the 

 Duke of Sutherland's salmon fishings on the river 

 Shin. 



In the course of February and March, 1841, he took 

 a considerable number of Gilses, and marked them with 

 wire in various places sufficiently eflficacious to be again 



