THE SALMON. 177 



mariner, as he is. There are various local names for these fish. The 

 females are termed "baggits" and the males "kippers." They are 

 utterly unfit for food, and should, under no circumstances, be retained- 

 It is usual to find a white parasitic worm (Lernea salmonis, of Linnseus), 

 infesting the gills, and the general appearance of this wretched being is 

 pitiable. Fortunately it is illegal to gaff these fish, so that now a greater 

 proportion than hitherto reach the sea, and are often in time to commence 

 re-ascension with an added weight of from 71b. to lOlb. Mr. Cholmondeley 

 Pennell gives a table of kelts which had been taken by anglers on 

 descending, marked with a numbered copper or gutta percha tablet, 

 returned to the water, and re-caught during the autumn months on the 

 Duke of Athol's estate on re-ascension. It shows so conclusively the 

 wonderful rapidity of growth and recuperation the Salmo salar un- 

 dergoes in salt water, and the desirability of carefully enforcing the 

 law as to the return of kelts to the water that I may be forgiven for 

 reproducing it. 



CAUGHT AS KELTS OR SPAWNED FISH RE- 

 TURNING TO THE SEA. 



Weight. 

 lOlb. 



Io. 21 Feb. 14 , 



Jo. 76 Mch. 2 



Jo. 95. ... , 29 .... 



llilb. 

 12itt>. 



RETAKEN ASCENDING RIVER AS CLEAN 

 FISH. 



- Weight. 



No. 21 Aug. 18 171b. 



No. 76 18 171b. 



No. 95. ... , 12 191b. 



Thus it will be observed that in a few months from 61b. to 71b. each 

 had been put on, which is, roughly speaking, at the rate of about a pound 

 per month. Before going from this head it may be noted that kelts may 

 occasionally improve in the rivers sufficiently to deceive the tyro, but in 

 every case a comparison between a " clean run " fish and the " spent " 

 fish will not fail to show the difference. The head of the latter is always 

 disproportionate, and there is a general lankiness not observable in the 

 former. Whilst upon the weight of salmon I may here quote Mr. 

 Archibald Young, Inspector of Scotch Salmon Fisheries. He says, "as a 

 rule the largest fish are found in the largest rivers, though very heavy 

 fish are got in comparatively small rivers, as in the North Esk, near 

 Montrose, the Eoy, a tributary of the Spean, and the Stinchar in 

 Ayrshire. Mr. Yarrell mentions one of 831b. as having come into posses- 

 sion of Mr. Groves, of Bond-street, and the following is a catalogue of 

 those in Mr. Buckland's museum : 



WEIGHT. LENGTH. 

 Ib. ft. in. 



One Tay 70 4 8 



Two Rhine 69 4 8 



Shannon 54 



Tay (Kinfauns) . 53 . 4 



Rhine .. 15! ...".'.'. 4 3 



WEIGHT. LENGTH. 

 Ib. ft. in. 



Tay 51 4 8 



Wye 50 4 2 



Shannon 46 4 8 



Wye 44i 3 10i 



Tay (Kinfauns) 42 3 8 



" Probably the largest salmon ever caught by the rod was taken by a 



N 



