212 ON THE GROWTH OF THE SALMON. 



of increased size into the fresh water, so that, in the 

 month of September, the average may be said to vary 

 from six to nine pounds. I have seen them in October, 

 weighing upwards of twelve pounds. Now, what is, 

 very naturally, to be deduced from this fact ? Why, 

 that considering the rate at which the grilses them- 

 selves, as such, increase in size, it is more than possible, 

 nay, a matter of strong probability, that they were 

 actually the smolts of the current year, those very 

 insignificant fish which descended late in April. 



This is the general opinion among salmon fishers, 

 and although a startling circumstance, which I shall 

 here relate, staggered at one time my belief, in respect 

 to it, I am now led, for reasons shortly to be explained, 

 to yield it my hearty concurrence. The circumstance 

 I allude to was as follows : 



While treating of the food of the salmon, and detail- 

 ing what fell on one occasion under my observation 

 with respect to it while angling from the beach for sea- 

 trout on the Moray Frith, I mentioned the fact of my 

 capturing, with the fly, a few smolts or orange-fins. 

 This happened on the 10th day of June, 1836. Up- 

 wards of a month before, the entire bulk of fry, of all 

 descriptions, had descended from the Nairn, Ness, Find- 

 horn, and other neighbouring or intervening streams. 

 They had, I was disposed to think, actually existed, 

 all this space of time, in the sea, and yet, in regard at 

 least to the individuals captured, I failed to discover any 

 very marked increase of size, or even change of appear- 

 ance, from what, as concerns these two features, distin- 

 guished them before leaving the fresh water. There 

 might, indeed, have existed a trifle more of fulness in 

 their proportion ; and I think they displayed a thicker 

 and firmer-set coating of scales, although upon these 



