276 FLY FISHING AND SPINNING 



I quite agree with these writers that the paper is extremely 

 interesting, but only as showing the remarkable difference 

 which exists between data taken from two different salmon 

 rivers in Great Britain, and not as proving that salmon 

 spawn more than once in their lifetime. 



From the scales of eighty-five kelts taken from the River 

 Add in 1912 and 1913, and supplied by Mr. Calderwood to 

 Mr. Menzies, the latter gentleman reports that : 



" Of the 1913 catch no less than 52 J per cent, were 

 on their second or subsequent return." 

 As these fish were kelts, this is taken by Mr. Menzies to 

 show that these fish had spawned twice. Mr. Menzies 

 goes on : 



" Of the twenty-eight fish of which this can be said 

 . . . three of these were in fresh water for the 

 purpose of propagating their species for the third time, 

 while the scales of two others show three spawning 

 marks, and as they were kelts when caught, these 

 two fish, weighing 10 J and 11 Ibs. respectively, 

 had spawned four times and still survive, after thus 

 aiding in a most material way and to a hitherto 

 unsuspected extent the continuance of their race." 

 Briefly this report of Mr. Menzies claims that from the 

 scales of some fifty-five kelts netted in the river Add during 

 the spring months of 1913, and examined by him, 

 28 kelts had spawned twice, 

 3 ,, ,, three times, 

 2 ,, ,, four times. 



Mr. Hutton has, I believe, examined the scales taken from 

 some 4,000 Wye salmon, and of these he claims that 

 nearly 300 had spawned twice, and 



1 ,, three times ; 



so that while 52J per cent, of the Add kelts had spawned 

 twice, according to Mr. Menzies, only 7J per cent, of the 

 Wye salmon, according to Mr. Hutton, had already spawned 



