APOLOGY FOR ITS USE. 159 



attractive qualities of the salmon-roe, had traced their 

 way up to the bait, some of them, I have no doubt, out 

 of Maxwheel pool, situated at the distance of half 

 a-mile from the spot in question. 



It were easy, did I choose it, to inflict upon the 

 reader a detail of similar occurrences, all tending to 

 prove the wonderful virtues possessed by the salmon- 

 roe in gathering and concentrating trout, but the two 

 instances above related are quite enough for my present 

 purpose. They demonstrate the instinct of the fish to 

 pry out its favourite food ; they disclose to us that, for 

 this end, it is gifted by nature with the most delicate 

 perceptions; and more, they make us aware of the 

 great extent of damage done 'during the spawning 

 season, to the deposits of the salmon, by the depreda- 

 tions of the common trout. It is solely upon this last- 

 mentioned ground, that I take my stand, when palliat- 

 ing the use of the salmon-roe as an angling bait, in 

 certain rivers and seasons. I am of opinion, that in 

 large waters frequented by salmon for the purpose of 

 spawning, and also on their tributaries, the moderate 

 employment of it in a salted state, acts powerfully 

 in diverting the attention of more than one species 

 of prowler from the natural ova or deposit, a very 

 large proportion of which is every year consumed, as 

 well upon the redd of the fish itself as when carried 

 down below it ; moreover, I can conceive it to be of 

 great benefit to the breeding and increase of the 

 salar or salmon proper, were it made allowable, by an 

 amendment introduced into the various acts of par- 

 liament regarding our Scottish salmon fishings, to 

 capture, by means of this bait during the close season, 

 that species of fish which is well known under the 

 designation of bull-trout. There is not, I am con- 



