286 THE ANGLER-NATURALIST. 



know positively is, that in from six to eight weeks a num- 

 ber return to the same river with an increase in weight of 

 from 2 to 5 Ibs.*, and that many of the fry marked when 

 migrating as Smolts in May and June, are sold in the 

 London markets as Grilse in July, August, and September. 

 It is a fair point for conjecture, and would be an interesting 

 subject for future experiment, whether the Grilse return- 

 ing the same season may not consist principally of the 

 two-year-old Smolts, and so on ; or whether, should this 

 prove not to be the case, these older Smolts may not 

 represent the larger-sized Grilse, and the younger fish the 

 smaller ones. 



Very small Grilse are sometimes caught ; and the en- 

 graving represents a fish of the extraordinary low weight 

 of 15 ounces. These Grilse, when weighing less than 2 Ibs., 

 pass amongst the London fishmongers and in some fishing 

 counties by the name of " Salmon Peel." 



* The following fish, marked as Smolts at Stormontfield, on their 

 way to the sea in May 1855, were captured on their return as Grilse 

 during the same year, at the times and of the weights stated : 



July 1 .... 3 Ibs July 30 .... 7 Ibs. 



July 20 .... 5} July 31 .... 9 



July 21 .... 5 Aug. 4 .... 7 



Aug. 4 .... 8 



