32 SALMON FISHING IN THE TWEED 



favourable to adult salmon, which, as I have else- 

 where observed, fall off in size and condition from 

 the moment they enter a river for the purpose of 

 spawning. When they have spawned, however, 

 they certainly do mend greatly in condition, or, 

 more correctly speaking, recover from their state of 

 weakness. 



But to return to Mr. Shaw. " The circum- 

 stance," says he, "of male parrs with the milt 

 matured, and flowing in profusion from their bodies, 

 being at all times found in company with the 

 adult female salmon while depositing her spawn 

 in the river, and the female parrs being in every 

 instance absent, suggested the idea that the males 

 were probably present with the female salmon at 

 such seasons for sexual purposes. 



"To demonstrate the fact," he continues, "in 

 January, 1837, I took a female salmon weighing 

 fourteen pounds from the spawning bed, from 

 whence I also took a male parr weighing one 

 ounce and a half, with the milt of which I 

 impregnated a quantity of her ova, and placed 

 the whole in a private pond ; where, to my great 

 astonishment, the process succeeded in every 

 respect, as it had done with the ova which had 

 been impregnated by the adult male salmon, and 

 exhibited, from the first visible appearance of the 

 embryo fish up to their assuming their migratory 

 dress, the utmost health and vigour. 



"The result from this experiment was of so 

 startling a nature, that it was not thought prudent 

 to give it publicity till the trial was repeated. It 

 was so, early in the following January, 1838, when 



