430 



Report of the Experimental Committee to the General 

 Meeting of Tweed Commissioners, to be held at Corn- 

 hill, on 1st September, 1873. 



The Committee have prosecuted then: investigations in the in- 

 terval which has elapsed since their last Report, but have hither- 

 to failed to procure any conclusive evidence on the two doubtful 

 points particularly mentioned therein, viz., the identity of Whit- 

 ling and Bull Trout, and of Grilse and Salmon, in their respective 

 different stages. And a further question, which had been con- 

 sidered to be settled long ago, viz., whether Orange Fins belong 

 to the Salmon tribe — has now been added to the list of subjects 

 requiring to be tested by actual experiment. 



Only last year, Mr Geo. Young, then a member of the Tweed 

 Commission, gave evidence to the effect that Orange Fins un- 

 doubtedly became Bull Trouts, thereby conducing to the conviction 

 of a person charged with contravention of the law in Scotland ; 

 but although the same witness, corroborated by others, expressed, 

 at a recent trial, the strongest opinion that Orange Fins were the 

 young of the Whitling or Bull Trout, the evidence was held to 

 be insufficient, and the subsequent stage in the existence of an 

 Orange Fin,, must still be determined by actual experiment. It is 

 proposed to form a pond for this purpose, marked Orange Fins 

 being placed and fed therein, under careful supervision, and any 

 changes in their condition accurately noted by officers of the 

 Commissioners. 



In the interval between September, 1872, and June, 1873, 

 there were marked : — 



5 Salmon. 

 102 Grilse. 



4 Bull Trout. 



4 Whitling. 

 193 Blacktails. 

 177 Smolts. 

 611 Orange Fins. 



1 Parr. 



Total, 1097 



And there have been recaptured fish which have been marked : 

 2 Blacktails converted into Whitlings, 



1 do. do. Bull Trout, 



besides others which had not changed their condition. 



