146 SALMON-BEARING AT STORMONTFIELD. 



of the milt was sufficient to impregnate the ova of a 

 large salmon, and that always a few of the ova, after re- 

 ceiving the milt, turned white ; these were injured, and 

 would prove addled. We also noticed that the salmon 

 colour of the ova was heightened when the milt came 

 in contact with it. Kound tin pans, with as much 

 water in them as covered the ova, were used to carry 

 them to the hatching-boxes. The spawned fish were re- 

 turned to the river, and went away after the operation 

 quite lively." The curious fact is recorded that one of 

 the male salmon manipulated on this the first occasion 

 of artificial impregnation on the Tay, in 1853, having 

 been marked, was recaptured, and manipulated again on 

 its return to spawn in the same place in 1855. 



We find no light thrown upon the perplexing ano- 

 maly first noticed at Stormontfield namely, that about 

 one-half of the fry in twelve months assume the smolt 

 aspect, and migrate to the ocean, while the remaining 

 half continue parr, and will not leave the pond till a 

 year older. It was surmised, that remaining for two 

 years might be a peculiarity of the progeny of grilses, 

 and that the fry migrating when a year old were the 

 offspring of fully-matured salmon. A conclusive ex- 

 periment has demonstrated the futility of this hypothe- 

 sis. The anomaly extends to the progeny of salmon as 

 well as of grilses. "Why," observed Mr Brown, "those 

 that remain behind for another year do so, we cannot 

 tell, but such is the fact ; and the best reason we can 

 give is, that by this means the river has always fish in 

 it that will migrate at least a month sooner in the spring 

 than the fry of the first year ; and also that male parrs 

 will always be at hand in the river during the spawning 

 months, in a fit condition to supply the want of male 

 salmon when that occurs, which is a wise provision in 

 nature, as many females in small and distant tributaries 

 might be left without a mate if there were no parrs 

 male parrs having been proved to be in a breeding state 

 at that time." 



