46 Anniversary Address. 



by which time they have grown to five or six inches in length 

 and perhaps two or three ounces in weight. After they leave 

 the river great numbers must become the prey of sea-fish and 

 birds as I have already mentioned, but still large numbers must 

 escape, for in two instances that have come under my own 

 observation, smolts that have been marked one year with 

 silver wires being fixed in them, have been caught fifteen 

 months after as grilses, one weighing 4i lbs. and another 

 6* lbs. 



" The old belief was that the salmon ova deposited in Novem- 

 ber and December, went down to the sea as ' smolts' in April 

 and May following, and returned again to the river as ' grilses' 

 in July and August, when they had become of six or seven 

 pounds weight ; but experiments that have been made of late 

 years show that the growth is by no means so rapid, and that 

 a grilse at the end of the fishing season must be at least two 

 and a half years old." 



I reco-mmend this matter to the attentive consideration of 

 those members of our Club who make natural history their 

 study and delight ; for the supply of salmon to our rivers 

 depends much on the knowledge of the habits of this fish, and 

 to a correct legislation on the subject. 



After much investigation, and a great contest in Parliament, 

 a new Act has been obtained to regulate the salmon fisheries 

 in the Tweed and its tributaries, from which 1 note the 

 following facts. 



It commences from the Royal Assent (17th of August, 1857.) 



The leading feature is the abolishing of all fixed nets. 



Salmon to be taken only by the rod and by the wear shot 

 or sweep net, and no such net to be worked within 30 yards 

 of another. 



All natural obstructions and cairns to be removed. 



The weekly close time is from six on Saturday evening, to 

 six on Monday morning, throughout the season, for net and 

 rod alike. 



The annual close time begins on the 1st of October for nets, 

 and the 15th of October for rods, and ends on the 1st of 

 March, for both nets and rods. 



