THE HOMING OF THE SALMON 39 



varied to some extent and a few of the recaptures are on 

 the faith of fin-cutting only. 



In the matter of Smolt-marking, however, the Tay opera- 

 tions of 1905 stand out more prominently than any, as 

 yielding results of great value. The actual full record is not 

 easily obtained. The operations were conducted by the 

 Tay Salmon Fisheries Co., the marking being done by Mr 

 William M'Nicol, who was then in the Company's service. 

 The method was to form a simple loop, of very fine and 

 pliant silver wire, through the anterior portion of the base 

 of the dorsal fin. The little fish were held meantime in a 

 non-conducting case so as to avoid injury in handling. 

 5500 Smolts were marked in the tidal section of the river 

 at Kinfauns, being the situation where Smolts naturally 

 congregate in great numbers prior to their move into the 

 sea. 



In 1905, the year of marking, no recaptures were made. 

 „ 1906, 43 Grilse were caught. 



., 1907, 57 Salmon were caught, and of these 32 were 



small spring fish, and 25 were summer fish. The 



latter ranged in weight from 12 lb. to 27 lb., with 



an average of 16 lb, 



„ 1908, 8 large spring fish were caught, the weights 



being from 13 to 35 lb. 

 „ 1909, 2 large fish which had already spawned were 

 taken. 



The recaptures during these four years, therefore, numbered 

 no, a return of 20 per 1000, or 2 per cent. All recaptures 

 were in the Tay. Several points of very considerable interest 

 emerged from these results, and as the Fishery Board for 

 Scotland had been marking adult Kelts in a large number of 

 rivers, including the Tay, for twelve years prior to this Smolt 

 marking, a comparison was possible by which not a little 

 light was shed upon the homing movements of the Salmon. 



It had already become very evident that certain classes 

 of fish ascended at certain seasons, and that in all the early 

 rivers clean fish were running up while other fish were spawn- 

 ing or were descending after having spawned. Netting, for 

 purposes of marking fish in the close season in such rivers as 



