NUMERICAL SUPERIORITY OF FEMALES. 191 



remnants of the previous formation in the shape of 

 intact ova, evidently what the fish, in the act of deposi- 

 tion, had been unable, from its detached state, to slough 

 off or get rid of. Yet strange to say, on mentioning 

 this circumstance very lately to an experienced and 

 zealous salmon-fisher on Tweedside, who, in his day, has 

 slaughtered, no doubt, many a kelt as well as more 

 desirable fish, he remarked, " You must be quite in an 

 error." Not a week afterwards, however, he happened 

 himself to capture a recently spawned salmon at Teviot- 

 foot, and from the circumstance of this fish containing 

 both the new roe and particles or pellets of its former 

 store, he is now quite convinced of the fact, as I have 

 stated it. 



It is not a question for me here to determine how 

 long the new roe takes to arrive at its full maturity, or 

 in what state it is when the fish, after having made its 

 way down into the salt water and become renovated, 

 again inclines to ascend. A great deal of investigation 

 and guess-work have taken place among fishermen upon 

 these points, as well as upon the yet unresolved question 

 what the clean spring salmon actually is, whether a 

 barren, unproductive grilse of the former year, or one 

 that has deposited its spawn in salt water, or a separate 

 and unclassed variety of the solar. 



As I have above stated, the female or spawning fish 

 form fully three-fourths of those salmon which ascend 

 our fresh waters during the open season. I am under- 

 rating, not exaggerating, the proportion, and in respect 

 to the close-time (I confine myself to that of Tweed 

 which extends to little more, as far as regards the rod- 

 fisher,, than three months), the kippers or he-fish then 

 entering the river cannot be said to exceed, but rather 

 fall short of, in point of number, those of the other sex. 



