192 ON THE GROWTH OF 
as has been supposed, I may state that I see no reason 
for believing that it is accelerated in an extraordinary 
degree at any subsequent period of its life. The 
Salmon which come up the Conway annually exhibit 
every gradation in weight from half a pound, or under, 
to thirty-five and forty pounds. This would hardly 
be the case were the belief in their extremely rapid 
growth well founded, neither would individuals of 
large dimensions bear so very small a numerical pro- 
portion as they are known to do to those of a medium 
size. 
In pursuing researches of this description it is de- 
sirable that measurement should be attended to as 
well as weight, for Salmon of the same weight pre- 
cisely often differ remarkably in their dimensions 
according to the condition they are in; and the 
neglect of this circumstance, I am inclined to think, 
has contributed greatly to encumber the question with 
difficulties. That condition, considered with reference 
to weight, must have exercised no small share of in- 
fluence in the case of the Grilse weighing four pounds 
marked by Mr. Young after they had spawned, and 
recaptured in the ensuing spring and summer as 
Salmon weighing from nine to fourteen pounds, 
and in that of the Salmon weighing ten pounds 
taken by the Duke of Athole after it had spawned, 
and retaken thirty-eight days afterwards, when it 
weighed twenty-one pounds and a quarter, cannot be 
doubted. 
