AND ANGLING SONGS. 375 



the great bulk of our river-trout, which have attained the weight 

 of half a pound and upwards, leave off surface and bottom feeding, 

 and take to the coursing down of the salmon fry. These depre- 

 dations on the parr- stock commence at the hatching season, which, 

 in Tweed, follows close upon the departure of the smolts. and 

 continue until the end of October. In the case of the bull-trout 

 kelts, the havoc in question is at its height in April and May, 

 and is carried on against the smolts themselves when in the act 

 of pushing seaward. 



As an example of the voracity of the common river- trout, and 

 the mischief done by it to the parr-stock of the river, I may men- 

 tion that, not long ago, I abstracted from the stomach of an indi- 

 vidual which weighed in the gross only twelve ounces, no fewer 

 than seven infant salmon, all of which, taking into account the 

 strong digestive powers of thefario, it is allowable to conjecture 

 had been chased down and swallowed on the morning of its cap- 

 ture, and represented a single ordinary meal. 



From that well-known point of observation, Kelso bridge, I 

 have had countless opportunities of witnessing the ravages com- 

 mitted by large river-trout and the kelted erioees upon the salmon 

 fry, and of drawing a conclusion, from what has come under my 

 notice there, as to the vast amount of damage, which, year after 

 year, accrues to the parr-stock of Tweed and its leading tribu- 

 taries, Teviot, Ettrick, Till, and Whitadder. The years 1864 

 and 1865, owing to the droughts which prevailed during the 

 summer and autumnal portions of them, particularly favoured 

 these observations. The arches of the bridge above mentioned 

 extend across the neck, or rather the stretch of gravel which 

 leads to it, of the Maxwheel Pool a fine salmon hold, on which 

 his Grace the Duke of Roxburghe several years ago accomplished 

 a feat which, among the many remarkable successes met with by 

 that nobleman, stands pre-eminent. The only wind which strikes 

 this pool with proper effect is that from the north-east, and 



