162 SqLway Nature Notes. 



Mackerel were very scarce in the Firth on the Scottish 

 side during last season, and all sorts of flat fish were scarce 

 all over the Firth. It would be interesting to know whether 

 the wet summer and continuous spates had anything to do 

 with this. We know that the amount of fresh water run- 

 ning into the Solway is great, and that it varies with each 

 season. I am not aware that there are any records showing 

 whether a scarcity of flat fish has occurred during unusually 

 wet seasons, but it may be worth while placing it on record 

 that it was so in 191 2. I may say that the fish which were 

 noticeably much scarcer than usual were Plaice, Soles, and 

 Skate (Rays). 



Never in my recollection were there so many Porpoises 

 in the Firth as during the summer of 1912. The salmon 

 fishermen approached the Fishery Board with a view to seeing 

 whether something could not be done to destroy these 

 creatures or drive them away, and, much to their surprise, 

 they were told that there was no evidence to show that Por- 

 poises were destructive to Salmon. This statement is 

 astounding, in view of the fact that those who are daily in a 

 position to note the feeding habits of the Porpoise have over- 

 whelming evidence of their fondness for salmon as food. 

 My own opportunities are not so great as those of the fisher- 

 men, but I never doubted that what was common knowledge 

 to shore dwellers would be doubted. But I will confine 

 myself to what I have observed. 



On one occasion while whammling a porpoise was seen 

 to strike the net, and when this was hauled about a third of a 

 salmon was found at the place that had been struck. The 

 fish was cut as cleanly as though it had been cut with a knife. 

 On another occasion I watched a shoal of Porpoises working 

 at low water just where the channel enters deep water, at the 

 tail of Barnhourie and the Mersehead Banks, and I saw two 

 salmon chased within half-an-hour. Whether they were 

 caught or not I do not know. Some years ago, off Portling, 

 I saw a porpoise seize a salmon and fling it high in the air 

 and catch it as it came down. When there are porpoises 

 about, a large percentage of salmon caught are wounded. 

 These wounds are invariably long gashes on the sides of the 



