179 



Sea Trout or Common Trout — The Carham Pond Experi- 

 ments. By Mr Andrew Brotherston. 



On May 17th, 1874, 133 fish, averaging about 7 or 8 inches in 

 length, were selected as good examples of Orange-fins and placed 

 in artificial ponds at Carham. They were examined, weighed and 

 measured at intervals, and on May 2nd, 1879, after five years 

 confinement, 30 of them were weighed, measured, and marked, 

 and returned to the Tweed. One of them was caught near 

 Birgham, on June 4th or 5th and sent to me for preservation. 

 Inserted into the flesh behind the adipose fin, was a silver wire, 

 on which was stamped Tweed IY. I communicated the fact to 

 Mr List, asking particulars about it, when he kindly informed 

 me, that it was one of the fish taken from Carham Pond, on May 

 21, 1879, at which time it was 12 inches long, and 12 ounces in 

 weight. When recaptured it was 12^ inches long, and weighed 

 lOf oz. Another, marked Tweeb HI (also preserved), was cap- 

 tured near the same place, on or about July 17th. It was then 

 17^ inches long, and weighed 28^ oz. From Mr List, I learned 

 that it was the same length and weight when placed in the 

 Tweed. Both were undoubtedly common Trout ! Another, I did 

 not see, but got the wire with which it had been marked (Tweed 

 If> ) from the person who caught it ; he said it was from a common 

 Trout, and being an experienced fisher, it is very probable that 

 he was correct. It was captured below Kelso Bridge on the 5th 

 of July and weighed 21b, Soz., length not taken ; when liberated 

 it was 1 8^ inches long, and same weight when recaptured. 



There is a paper in the "Proceedings," vol. viii., p. 169, by 

 Mr Huntley, and another (173) by Mr Stirling, on these fish. 

 Both papers lead to the belief that all the 133 Orange-fins placed 

 in the ponds on May 17th, 1874, were the young of " Sea Trout." 

 It is very probable that some of them were, but all were not ! 

 By referring to these papers it will be seen that all those who 

 examined them, except two — Major Dickens and T. T. Stoddart 

 — were unanimous in the conviction that they had successively 

 exchanged the character of Orange-fins for that of Black-tail and 

 Whitling ; the above two gentlemen maintaining that they were 

 Common YeUow or White Trout. In a case of this kind, if ex- 

 periments are to be of any use, there should be some unmistake- 

 able characteristic, whereby the dijSerent species of the Salmonida, 



