THE SCALES OF SALMON 105 
early or in late summer or autumn, the variation being 
from 7 to 24 lines. If in this second year the fish 
remains feeding in the sea—the long migration habit 
—the addition, in the case of Tay fish, may be from 20 
to 81 lines. If thereafter the fish enters the river 
as a summer fish, very few additional lines may be 
added at the commencement of the third year, though 
a later fish may show 12 or 15 lines. Ifin this third 
summer the fish still does not enter the river, but 
delays till the following winter or spring, 17 to 28 
lines may be added in the sea. 
From the evidence at command it appears to be 
somewhat unusual for a fish to remain till its fourth 
sea year without spawning, but a few instances are 
on record. Fish which on recapture are from 30 to 
35 lb. show either five or six years’ growth on the 
scales after the smolt condition, and have spawned 
either once or twice. A record of a 42 lb. fish shows 
six years’ sea life, or in other words is eight years old 
and has spawned twice. The fact that the recapture 
was made in fresh water points to the conclusion 
that spawning, or rather reproduction of the species 
(for the majority of those large fish are males), would 
be engaged in for a third and probably last time. 
The few records of marked fish which have been 
recaptured when 40 lb. or more than this weight 
have, from the information gained from marking 
alone, been set down as of eight years old, and in 
this connection it is interesting to recollect that 
trout kept in rearing ponds for hatchery purposes 
are found to become poor as regards fertility after 
their eighth year. 
