112 



The Salmon 



allowed them to fall to the bottom. I have dropped sweets in the 

 same way, and the fish took them, but treated them as they did the 

 prawn. A kw years ago, for the sake of experiment, I obtained 

 leave to kill as many kelts as I wished during the last week of 

 April, at which period the river is full of smolts. I killed many ot 

 them, but tailed to find any food in their stomachs. At the same 

 time I killed manv sea-trout kelts, welghlnp;, in some cases, ; and 

 4 lbs. In most of these, however, I found files and the larv:e 

 of the early Ephemera; and caddis- Hies in process of digestion. 

 I have examined thousands ot salmon in our fish-house, but ha\'e 

 never tound any trace of tood In any of them ; neither ha\'e our 

 men, who have had hundreds of thousands through their hands. 

 As I have already said, it is not so with sea-trout and brown trout. 

 They are otten found gorged with parr and smolts. In the stomachs 

 of sea-trout caught in tidal waters are often found sand-eels, sparling, 

 and young herring. 



Movements of Salmox in Tidal Rivers 



My experience of the mo\'ements ot salmon in tidal waters is 

 almost entirely confined to the Tay. The Tay has a long estuary, 

 and the tide fiows tor a distance ot 35 miles. The lower part of the 

 river is trom 2 to 3 miles broad during high water, and the 

 upper part from 100 to 400 yards wide. During winter and spring 

 many fish remain a considerable time in the estuary on coming 

 from the sea. It is rather strange that an east wind brings the 

 fish In towards the shore, while a west wind makes them hasten 

 up the river. Mild weather, too, makes them push up the rh-er, 

 while snow fioods keep them back. When the snow water begins to 

 leave the river they come on in large numbers, and during some 

 seasons It Is only when the floods cease that the fish begin to run, 

 although, when the fioods are caused by rain, tish will run in high 

 water. As the season advances the fish are more inclined to come 

 on, and the greater number of them come up the estuary with the 



