2 THE LIFE OF THE SALMON 
not seem to mind so much when only an eel’s 
reputation was at stake; to tamper with the 
salmon’s genealogy was by comparison like dis- 
puting a title to the peerage. However, the results 
of the Stormontfield investigations were finally given 
to the world in two small books, one by William 
Brown in 1862, the other, since republished, by 
Robert Buist in 1866. Buist superintended the 
operations carried on by Peter Marshall, and both 
were familiar writers to the angling papers of the 
time, the latter under the title of “ Peter of the 
Pools.” 
With regard to the descent of the parr and smolts 
from the ponds, the results were regarded as show- 
ing that 60 per cent. descended when two years old, 
32 per cent. when three years old, and 8 per cent. 
when only one year old. This was indeed regarded as 
the proportions in which the young salmon migrated 
to the sea, but the ponds are several miles above 
Perth and many miles from the sea, and it is safer 
to say simply that in this proportion they descended 
from the ponds. I have even heard some curious 
hints as to the way certain fish were made to 
descend, and we know that the argument was as 
keenly contested as any land reform bill, but 
such hints probably do not matter much. An 
attempt was also made to rear smolts in salt water, 
and a pond on the coast was secured for this 
purpose. Unfortunately some local poacher put an 
effectual closure on the experiment by stealing the 
fish when, as was reported, they had attained the 
size of herrings. The poacher not only committed 
