SALMON-FISHBEY OF SCOTLAND. 23 



port of their opinion. In general, the fishermen believe that 

 they migrate somewhere to the north, as it is from thence they 

 are always observed to come, which is all they know of the 

 matter. The Committee ask Mr Bell of Perth, a salmon-fisher 

 of great experience, — 



" Where do you think the saLmon come from ? where do you tMnk 

 they winter ? " — " I beHeve that is a mystery." 



" What do you suppose ] " — " I beHeve they come from the 

 north.'' 



Dr Fleming is asked by the Committee, — 



" Where do you think the fry and spent fish proceed after their 

 descent to the sea?" — "The question is one of extremely difficult 

 solution ; but the following circumstances may be mentioned, as 

 throwing some Hght on the subject. They do not retire to the sea^ 

 shore, otherwise the stake-nets would succeed in capturing the kelts 

 at least ; and if they frequent the nearer banks on our coasts, I 

 should think it probable that the bait employed by our fishermen to 

 catch the different kinds of white fish, would occasionally tempt a 

 hungry kelt. Tt is not known that such fishermen do take such 

 kelts, consequently I would be disposed to conclude that the fry and 

 kelts betake themselves to deep water, at a considerable distance 

 from the shore — indeed to parts with which we are wholly unac- 

 quainted." 



In all this we agi'ee entirely with the Doctor. The only 

 question seems to be, to what remote regions of the deep they 

 do retire ; and in solving this insolvable question, we are 

 thrown, as we have said, wholly on speculation and conjecture. 

 Let us, then, take a look at herrings,- between whom and sal- 

 mon there are so many analogies, to see if it wUl assist us on 

 the subject. 



It is beyond dispute that all the herrings which constitute 

 our herring-fishery are bred on the banks around our coasts, 

 and in the sea-lochs and friths by which the northern parts of 

 the kingdom are indented. In the Cromarty Frith nine cart- 

 loads of herring fry have been taken out of one yair in a tide : 

 in another yair, in the frith of Inverness, at Tarradale, the fry, 

 principally those of herrings, are often sold by the bushel ; and 

 in the frith of Dornoch, at Kincardine, the swine have been 



