106 SCOTCH SALMON AND SCOTCH LAW. 



seen them spawning together, and that when the net is 

 drawn over the ford, for the purpose of stocking the 

 Stormontfield ponds, salmon and grilse are dragged 

 ashore when in the act of spawning, and manipulated 

 upon promiscuously, the impregnation of the ova being 

 alike successful whether between two full-grown sal- 

 mon or between a salmon and a grilse. Mr Mackenzie 

 also makes the astounding assertion, that having tied 

 wire round the tails of grilse, he caught them three 

 years afterwards still grilse. We can only attribute 

 this to his not knowing how to observe ; and there- 

 fore, with all deference to Mr Mackenzie, we shall 

 expect smolts to become grilses, and grilses salmon, as 

 they have been doing since the world began. 



