2 8 THE HABITS OF THE SALMON. 



gathered considerable information from reliable 

 sources. I refer chiefly to private communications 

 made to me by anglers who have fished the rivers for 

 years ; and to " The Angler's Guide to the North of 

 Scotland," by the late Mr. Andrew Young, of Inver- 

 ness-shire. Mr. Young's remarks on these rivers may 

 be absolutely depended upon ; moreover, his descrip- 

 tion of the Shin and Oykel is instructive and very 

 interesting. The ■ work clearly shows the effect 

 of temperature on the habits of the early running 

 fish. With regard to the Shin, the author remarks : 

 " From its short course between Loch Shin and the 

 tideway in the Kyle of Sutherland, its temperature is 

 several degrees higher in the winter than the waters 

 of the Oykel and Cassley, with which it mingles on 

 entering the Kyle, and the temperature is several 

 degrees lower in the summer than the waters of these 

 long, sun-heated, hill-collected rivers. All these 

 variations are ascertained by means of instruments 

 at different seasons of the year. But even without 

 them we see these rivers completely covered with ice 



