220 ON THE GROWTH OF THE SALMON. 



are captured, but as the spring advances, larger salmon 

 make their appearance. I am talking of the Tweed 

 fish only, being aware that in Tay, Forth, Ness, and 

 Shin, the average weight is somewhat more than that 

 above-mentioned. These salmon, in their edible quali- 

 ties, greatly excel those taken during the grilse season, 

 and in consequence of this as well as their comparative 

 scarcity at a period of great demand, fetch a much 

 higher price in the market. Now the question started 

 by many with respect to them is : What relation do 

 these salmon bear to the grilses of the bygone season, 

 the majority of which are still, during a large portion 

 of spring, in the river, as kelts or even baggits and 

 milters ? The average size they exhibit at first enter- 

 ing the river, is a proof they are not salmon advanced 

 in age, but cotemporaneous evidently with the grilses I 

 speak of. I think it may correctly be conjectured that 

 they were part and parcel of the same year's breed, 

 which, concluding their spawning operations in Octo- 

 ber, have either been early impregnated by the few 

 milters then in the river, or, without being impreg- 

 nated at all, have, immediately on depositing their 

 spawn, descended to the salt water, and having there 

 undergone purification, re-ascended as salmon. This 

 hypothesis, it will be allowed, satisfactorily accounts 

 for the size of the fish, the peculiarity of their being 

 almost all females, and for the readiness with which 

 they again resort to the fresh water, in order to court 

 impregnation from remaining milters ; the existence of 

 the ova in its immature state, as I have already shown, 

 not indicating in itself any prior act of subjection to 

 the cbitive process on the part of the female exhibit- 

 ing it. 



In this and the two preceding chapters I have run 



