38 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON FISHING 



ingly sent me two parcels of the Salmon fry, which 

 arrived in good condition ; and although not so 

 glossy as when first captured, were made brighter 

 in appearance by the application of water. I 

 carried them immediately to Barnes, the residence 

 of Mr. Edward Cooke ; and having selected the most 

 silvery amongst them, I begged him to paint it as 

 faithfully as possible ; and after he had so done I 

 desired that, during my absence, he would remove 

 the scales from the upper half of the same fish, and 

 paint it again as it should appear after such removal. 

 The result will be seen in the accompanying litho- 

 graph, with the execution of which I did not at all 

 interfere. It proves what has been asserted as to 

 change of outward appearance. 



All the fry, however, which go to sea at this 

 period, have not their silver scales perfected ; but 

 many have the bars and spots faintly indicated, as 

 represented in the lithograph (No. 3) introduced a 

 few pages forward another fish selected from the 

 same lot ; and although the majority of these little 

 emigrants go to the sea in large masses about the 

 first swells of the river in May, yet I have no doubt 

 but that some are continually going down to the 

 salt water in every month of the year not with 

 their silver scales on, but in the parr state. I say 

 not with their silver scales, because no clear Smolt 

 is ever seen in the Tweed during the summer and 

 autumnal months. As the spawning season in the 

 Tweed extends over a period of six months, some 

 of the fry must be necessarily some months older 

 than others a circumstance which favours my sup- 



