294 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 4 
haye been, in their returning migration up the river, recaptured and 4 
carefully examined ; the conclusions arrived at are most gratifying, 
and prove what has heretofore appeared almost incredible, namely, 
the rapid growth of the young fish during their short sojourn in the 
salt water. This fact may be considered as still further established by 
taking of which rests on indubitable evidence, nearly as many more 
are reported from distant parts; the weights and sizes of these have 
not been forwarded. 
e experiment at Stormontfield has afforded satisfactory proof that 
a portion at least of the fry of the salmon assume the migratory dress 
and descend to the sea shortly after the close of the first year of their 
existence ; and what is far more important in a practical point of view, 
it has also demonstrated the practicability of rearing salmon of mar- 
ketable value within twenty months from the deposition of the ova. A 
very interesting question still remains to be solved :—At what date will 
the fry now in the pond become smelts? Hitherto, they have mani- 
fested no disposition to migrate; and if the silvery coat of the smelt 
the experiment at Stormontfield could be continued for a 
year or two longer, till the links in the chain of evidence now wanting 
the growth of the salmon in its earlier stages. He had himself caught 
distinguishable from smolts; and in 1832, a very dry year, when no 
occurred in the Tweed to take down the later shoals of smolts, 
of Twizel, had caught grilse of 11 Ib. in weight, whic 
Ww considered to be the fry of that year which had never left 
the river. But he regarded the irregularity in the growth and in the 
time of departure of the young salmon as a natural fact, and not merely 
ver and come up as grilse of 4 or 5 Ib. weight; but he had 
arked grilse come up the river as salmon, weighing 12 |b. He 
not think, however, that salmon when they went down came Dac 
any larger. 
a ie a 
