THE SALMON FAMILY. 291 



One might think that they would remain in the river Shin, 

 and spawn where their first ancestors had spawned ; but 

 no, they leave their own natal shallows, pass down the lake, 

 through the river Shin, along the Kyle of Sutherland, to 

 the sea, and there having become adolescent, in three 

 months or so they retrace their route, and, after necessary 

 rests on their long voyage, revisit for the first time, but 

 not for the last, if they survive, the scenes of their birth 

 and infancy." * 



During their sojourn in the sea after the first spawning, 

 the growth of the Grilse is exceedingly rapid, a consider- 

 able proportion at least of such fish returning to the river 

 in the summer and autumn with an increase in weight of 

 from 5 to 9 Ibs. In twelve Grilse of 4 Ibs. 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 after-stages 

 of their existence we have no accurate means at present of 

 judging ; but reasoning from analogy it would appear pro- 

 bable that it decreases somewhat with the advancing age 

 of the fish, and in very old specimens is perhaps compa- 

 ratively trifling. Of such Salmon, the largest recorded to 

 have been captured in British waters was a female fish of 

 the weight of 83 Ibs., which was exposed for sale in the 

 shop of a London tradesman in the year 1821. Another 

 of 74 Ibs. is alluded to by Pennant ; and Mr. T. Grove, 

 * Ephemera, 'The Book of the Salmon.' 



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