132 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SALMON. 



the fish could not get into the river for want of water? 

 I do not know. 



3444 LORD STANLEY: Do you often take brown fish 

 in the sea? I never saw them but there. 



3445 Had they the same colour that fish have that 

 have been a long time in the river? The very same as 

 if they had been lying in the river for two months. 



3446 EARL INNES: On the part of the coast of 

 which you speak is there not a great quantity of sea 

 weed? Yes. 



3447 Do you not think that the colour of those fish 

 was attributable to their lying among the sea weed? 

 I think it has that tendency; at the same time the fish 

 were so very full of spawn. 



3448 Was that at the end of September? It was just 

 the last two or three days of fishing. 



3449 Then, of course, the fish would be full of roe, 

 it is natural to suppose? I never saw them so full in 

 the Tweed before. 



3450 LORD STANLEY : Do not you suppose they were 

 fish waiting for sufficient water to ascend the river? I 

 do not know, or whether they were going to spawn in 

 the sea, that they were in that condition. There is a 

 strong current and a small grave outside in the sea. 



3451 Is the reason which induces yoiv to hesitate 

 in the opinion which you formerly came to, that salmon 

 do not breed in the sea, because at the end of the season 

 last year you took those brown fish which were full of 

 spawn, and therefore you think they spawn in the sea? 

 I would not say positively, but I have a certain amount 

 of belief in it. 



3481 LORD LOVAT: Do you consider that the fish 

 caught in Lunan Bay are Esk fish or Tay fish? I believe 

 they are from both rivers. I believe there is plenty 

 taken that never was in any river. 



