io The Atlantic Salmon 



ous on many of the Canadian rivers in June can 

 be the fish which left the sea a year or there- 

 abouts before and spawned in October. If they 

 are, their appearance as kelts in the late spring 

 and early summer would indicate a stay in fresh 

 water of six to eight months after spawning, 

 which is very much in excess of the length of 

 time they are known to remain there in Britain. 



The British smolts return to their native rivers 

 as grilse at periods of time varying from one to 

 four months (provided they do not pass this stage 

 of existence in the sea), weighing from three to 

 ten pounds, showing a rapidity of growth fully 

 verifying this statement in Walton and Cotton: 

 " It is said that after he is got into the sea he 

 becomes, from a samlet, not so big as a gudgeon, 

 to be a salmon, in so short a time as a gosling 

 becomes to be a goose. Much of this has been 

 observed by tying a ribbon or some known tape 

 or thread in the tail of some young salmons which 

 have been taken in weirs as they have swimmed 

 towards the salt water, and then by taking a part 

 of them again with the well-known mark at the 

 same place at their return from the sea, which is 

 usually about six months later." 



In this country and by this country, in speak- 



