THE SPAWNING PERIOD 175 



recaptured on gth November, 1914. Being re-marked No. 8399 B and 

 returned to the stream it was a second time recaptured on 9th November, 

 1915. Its career is tabulated thus: — 



Date. Weight. Length. 



8328 B. Marked, Altnagairoch 5 Nov. 1913 i^ lb. 15 in. 



Recap., Al'gairoch (ist time) gNov. 1914 2 lb. 18^ in. 



8399 B. Recap., Al'gairoch (2nd time) 9N0V. 1915 2^ lb. igi in. 



This fish was killed, and I have obtained a photograph of one of its 

 scales showing clearly the 1913 and 1914 spawning marks (Fig. 61). 



It has been shown conclusively that what used to be called a " Tay 

 bull trout" is nothing but a salmon which has already spawned returning 

 to spawn again in a subsequent season. As Mr. Malloch states, 

 " Their flesh is often whiter and not so well flavoured " as that of a 

 salmon on its first return from the sea, and they fetch an inferior price 

 in the markets. So also it is common knowledge that large sea-trout, 

 which one may generally infer with safety to be old sea-trout, whether 

 we call them " bull trout " or not, command a poor price in comparison 

 with smaller fish chiefly because the dealer expects their flesh to cut 

 whiter and to be much coarser than that of smaller and, as he presumes, 

 younger fish. I can attribute the paler colour of the flesh of particular 

 fish to no other cause than the frequency with which they have spawned 

 since coming to maturity. Hence I would infer that once a sea-trout 

 has spawned it will continue to spawn yearly for a series of years. 



It may be contended that what has been formerly stated regarding 

 the divided migration of the shoals argues against a return in consecu- 

 tive years ; that if only a proportion of the stock of sea-trout ascends 

 each year then sea-trout cannot spawn each year, or, alternatively, that 

 if they do spawn each year, then no others than the small and more or 

 less immature fish can remain in salt water over the spawning months. 

 But it is now perfectly certain that salmon may delay their return from 



