THE SALMON. 55 



it at both ends. In the la6t week of July last, (1844,) a grilse 

 of from five to six pounds weight, was caught at the shore- 

 side fishery near Berwick, by James M'Queen, fisherman, 

 and in the tail was a piece of wire twisted at both ends, as 

 described. M'Queen did not preserve the wire, but is satis- 

 fied in his own mind that it was brass, and of the description 

 inserted m the fry by Mr. Keras. There can therefore 

 scarcely be a doubt that it was one of the fry marked by the 

 latter, and proves to a demonstration, that the fry occupy a 

 much longer period in arriving at a state of maturity than has 

 been generally supposed." 



This extraordinary fish grows to a very large size. Hof- 

 land says, the largest ever heard of in England was sold in the 

 London market, and weighed 83 pounds. He also tells a story 

 of a Scotch Highlander, who, whilst fishing in the river Awe, 

 struck a salmon, which he played with great skill and patience 

 until night came, when the fish sulked at the bottom. The 

 persevering fisher, not to be subdued, took the line in his 

 mouth and lay down for a snooze, when he sulked until three 

 o'clock in the morning, when his angling friends aroused him, 

 and the fish, after a further run, was brought to land, and 

 weighed 73 pounds. Sir J. Hawkins says that the largest 

 salmon ever taken in England was caught in April, 1789 ; " it 

 measured upwards of four feet in length, three feet around the 

 body, and weighed nearly seventy pounds." There may be 

 some in this country of like size and weight among our undis- 

 covered waters and virgin streams where yet the angler's line 

 s to be thrown. The largest on record at present remembered 

 weighed about forty pounds. 



The common length of the salmon is from two to three and 

 a half feet, except when of the extraordinary English weight 

 mentioned, when they would probably measure five or six feet. 

 They are of a beautiful silver gray color, running into white on 

 the belly and blue on the back, and are marked with numerous 

 irregular dark and copper colored soots. The male is eener 



