228 SEA-TROUT. 



near which I lived, disclosed to me, however, one pecu- 

 liarity which distinguishes it in some measure from the 

 herling or bill of the Dumfries-shire rivers, not certainly 

 from the silver-white of Tweed, which, in the point I 

 allude to, greatly resembles it. It was this, that a large 

 proportion of these fish entered the river and remained 

 there for weeks without spawning, or even discovering 

 any tendency or fitness to do so. In 1837, I caught 

 several of them in good edible condition, as early 

 as the first of February, at a period when the river 

 swarmed with kelts of all descriptions, and continued 

 to take them throughout that month, as well as March 

 and April. They had entered the fresh water, many of 

 them, I have reason to conclude, the previous autumn, 

 and seeing they had done so not as breeding fish, had 

 retained, in a large measure, their condition and edible 

 properties. I may mention, however, that I seldom 

 caught them in this state above three miles from the 

 river's mouth, so that it is possible enough, during the 

 months I refer to, they had ascended direct from the 

 salt water, or kept moving to and fro, betwixt it and 

 the river, as tides and floods assisted them. This how- 

 ever, is mere conjecture, for I am rather inclined to 

 think they had located themselves in the Nairn, during 

 the previous season, preferring it as a harbour of shelter 

 in winter, to the furious billows of the German ocean. 



The silver- white of Tweed also, which is closely assi- 

 milated in external appearance to the finnock, I have 

 captured in good condition during the Spring season 

 and when the river abounded in kelts. The silver- white 

 is by no means an abundant fish in Tweed, in compari- 

 son at least to the finnock in our northern waters. They 

 are more numerous, however, some seasons than others. 

 In 1846 this was particularly the case. They exceeded 



