186 APPENDIX. 



three to five pounds. A river in the north of Ire- 

 land is, like the Coquet, frequented only by salmon 

 trout ; but whether it was formerly frequented by 

 salmon, and whether a dam has been erected across 

 the river, thus stopping them in their progress to 

 the higher streams and causing them to abandon the 

 river altogether, the writer is unable to say. 



Many salmon fishers, who have certainly had 

 ample opportunity of acquiring a correct knowledge 

 on the subject, declare that the grilse and the sal- 

 mon are fish of different species, though they gene- 

 rally feel puzzled when required to point out a real 

 and permanent difference. Others again, though 

 doubting the indentity of the species, admit that 

 they are acquainted with no distinction, except the 

 difference of appearance which is, in fact, occa- 

 sioned merely by an increase of size ; the grilse not 

 being so full behind the head as the salmon, and 

 smaller towards the tail. The identity of the grilse is 

 not, however, a matter of opinion, grilse having been 

 frequently marked and returned to the river, and 

 when afterwards taken have been found greatly in- 

 creased in size, and not to be distinguished from what 

 fishermen allow to be the true salmon. Sir Humph- 

 rey Davy was of opinion that the whitling was the 

 young of the salmon trout, or sea trout, and that the 

 bull trout was a fresh water trout carried out to sea. 

 He thought that the brandling trout, samlet, or par, 

 might be a mule, produced between the common and 

 the salmon trout. He also observes : " Indeed con- 

 sidering the sea trout as the type of the species trout, 

 I think all the other true trouts may not improperly 



