STORMONTFIELD EXPERIMENT. 51 



imitate the natural healing of the wound, as new 

 skin and new scales grow over the part. The 

 rapid growth of the grilse may be inferred from 

 the weight of the first marked one which was 

 taken, on the 7th July, being 3 Ibs.; their 

 weight increasing progressively to 5, 5J, 7 and 

 8 Ibs., while one captured on the 31st July 

 weighed no less than 9J Ibs. By almost all 

 those in any way acquainted with the progress of 

 the experiment, this was considered a very satis- 

 factory elucidation of the history of the smoult 

 up to the grilse state. But others, again, affirmed 

 that the cutting of the fin might have been done 

 by seals while they were in the sea. Seals will 

 undoubtedly cut off the dead fin of a salmon or 

 grilse; although a piece more of the fish is likely 

 to be taken, and the fish mutilated. But it is a 

 very wide stretch of the imagination to believe 

 that 44 grilse captured in one season should have 

 been deprived of this fin by these animals, and the 

 fish be otherwise uninjured. It was, however, con- 

 sidered very desirable, in order to meet all objec- 

 tions, that some foreign substance should be in- 

 serted into the smoults next year, so that on their 

 return they should be at once recognised. In the 

 Field newspaper of the 12th of April, 1856, Mr 



