58 THE LIFE OF THE SALMON 
for the purpose of discovering primarily the range 
of influence of the Sands river. The treatment of 
the fisheries of this his own river had resulted in a 
very distinct improvement,* and the marking of 
salmon kelts was commenced, so that the movements 
of Sands fish could be followed. 
The mark now used in Scotland is only slightly 
modified from the pattern originally used by Mr. 
Archer. It consists of a small silver plate, which 
bears upon it a distinguishing number, and a silver 
wire soldered to the long axis of the back of the 
plate, and also passed through the plate so that the 
two ends of the short wire project at right angles 
to the plate. The mark is commonly attached to 
the fish by pushing the two wire points through the 
base of the dorsal fin, so that the surface of the 
plate bearing the number rests upon one side of the 
fin and the points of wire project at the other. 
The points are then twisted together—without 
pressure upon the fin rays, if possible—and bent flat 
to the side of the fin. At time of marking a note is 
taken of the weight, length, sex, condition, date, 
and place; and at recapture the same particulars 
are, if possible, secured, and the records com- 
pared. 
The same system. is now also adopted in Ireland, 
where, however, a double plate is used, so that, if 
necessary, the distinguishing number may be read 
without the removal of the mark from the fish. 
Both in Ireland and England the silver marks are 
* Eleventh and Twelfth Annual Reports, Fishery Board for 
Scotland, Part IT. 
