THE SCALES OF THE SALMONID^ 261 



It is a known fact that in the Tay estuary, salmon hang 

 about the sand banks and gradually become discoloured long 

 before they attempt to ascend the river, but no one calls the 

 estuary, in which they stay, the sea. Data, therefore, as 

 to the condition of salmon captured in the estuaries of our 

 rivers, is of no particular value as proving what their 

 condition was when leaving the sea. 



THE WYE 



From an intimate knowledge of the Wye I should infer 

 that of all rivers it is the most unreliable one from which 

 to draw general deductions at least so far as regards the 

 fish captured below Tintern. This river differs from others 

 in that it not only has a tidal estuary of its own, but that 

 this again enters a much larger estuary, into which latter 

 estuary other salmon rivers empty themselves. 



In the case of the Wye, the fish captured below Tintern, 

 even if they are not fish which have tried to run up the 

 Towey, the Tawe, the Taff, the Usk, and gradually 

 approached and run up the estuary of the Severn, until 

 they reached the mouth of the Wye, might well have 

 attained a discoloured or advanced spawning condition in 

 the Severn estuary itself, in which they may have been 

 lingering for some time since leaving the sea. 



ICELANDIC RIVERS 



Icelandic rivers, for the reverse reason, may be regarded as 

 supplying much sounder data as to the condition of fish 

 fresh from salt water, and it is therefore advisable to note 

 the evidence on this point by Dr. Dahl. He says, in his 

 report on the Icelandic Salmon (1913), which report is 

 based upon the scales taken from fish caught in or at the 

 mouth of the Ellidaa, Hvita, Olfusa, and the Haffjordara 

 Rivers : 



