NATURAL HISTORY OF BRITISH SALMONIDJE. 143 



a wonderful haul of salmon at Islay. . . . He landed 716, and 

 many of them escaped. As the net approached the shore he 

 saw the fish discharging the contents of their stomachs, which con- 

 sisted of small eels.' 



As regards the travelling or otherwise of the salmon in the 

 sea, the thousands of salmon constantly taken in nets along all 

 parts of our coasts are a clear proof that they do travel, at least 

 to considerable distances, from their native rivers and estuaries ; 

 and from the observations of Sir William Jardine and Dr. 

 Heysham it would appear probable that, when the fish happen 

 to have thus wandered beyond their usual limits, they will at 

 the proper season run up the first stream they meet with, the 

 temperature and condition of which are congenial. 



The more usual course of events, however, is for the salmon 

 to return to their own rivers or localities, most remarkable and 

 well-authenticated proofs of which are on record and could be 

 produced in abundance. 



It is only in the salt water that the salmon species, generally 

 speaking, gain in weight after once quitting the smolt stage. 

 During their sojourn in the sea after the first spawning, the 

 growth of the grilse is exceedingly rapid, a considerable portion 

 at least of such fish returning to the river in the summer and 

 autumn with an increase in weight of from five to nine pounds. 

 In twelve grilse of four pounds each which were carefully marked 

 by Mr. Young when descending to the salt water, this was found 

 to be the average increase on their return during the same 

 season. Whether the growth rate is as rapid in the later stages 

 of salmon existence we have no equally accurate means of 

 judging ; but reasoning from analogy it would appear probable 

 that it decreases somewhat with the advancing age of the fish, 

 and in very old specimens is perhaps comparatively trilling. Of 

 such patriarchal salmon, the largest recorded to have been cap- 

 tured in British waters was a female fish of the weight of eighty- 

 three pounds, which was exposed for sale in the shop of a 

 London tradesman in the year 1821. Another of seventy-four 

 pounds is alluded to by Pennant ; Salter, in one of his works 



