Zoology. 325 
for them: he was quite black; but a better fish of his kind was never 
eaten, showing the absurdity of imagining a fish unwholesome because 
dark in the skin. On this day we landed 131 trout, 1 salmon, and 1 
erilse. 
‘** T would also draw attention to the enormous proportion of bull trout 
to that of salmon and grilse. I am afraid, if the present legislative 
enactments remain in existence, that in a few years we shall have the 
Tweed an entire trout river, like those south of it; although at one time 
those rivers, as well as the Tweed, abounded with salmon proper. , 
‘‘] have now to report regarding the kelts. Of these there were 
marked this spring, under the surveillance of our superintendent, be- 
tween the 14th March and 13th June, 27 salmon, not one grilse, but 
302 trout, with galvanized wire in the under lip. None of these fish so 
marked have been recaptured, so far asl am aware. Of the 1028 marked 
in the spring of 1860 with labels and wires through the gill-cover (I pro- 
duce one of the wires), I have ascertained three only to have been retaken 
—one at South Bells upon the Ist July last—one at Scotch Newwater on 
the 9th of the same month—and one at Hugh Shiel upon the 21st of last 
month. These fish weighed respectively 6 lbs., 63 Ibs., and 64 lbs. ; they 
were all of the trout species, and in excellent condition. From the above 
remarks, and former observations, it leads one almost to the conclusion, 
that the kelts only return to the river every alternate season, and that 
too at a late period. I may also remark, that the return of the kelts to 
the sea appears to be annually becoming later, especially the salmon ; of 
grilse there are few or none. Of the 27 salmon marked this spring, 
none were marked before the 14th May, and so many as ten upon the 13th 
June; showing, apparently, that early closing does not tend to create an 
early return to the sea. 
“ The next subject which my report embraces is that connected with 
salmon fry. During the last spring, upon the 26th April, the 11th, 
17th, and 25th of May, and the Ist and 4th of June, I made repeated 
trials between Wilford and the mouth of the River Whitadder, and upon 
each of these days we landed many thousands of smolts. Upon the two 
first, although the river was literally alive with bull trout smolts, there 
were few or no salmon or grilse smolts. Upon the third day there was 
only one draught where salmon and grilse smolts prevailed, although at 
every shot we landed thousands of bull trout smolts. Upon each of the 
succeeding days the same result ensued ; and upon the last two we only 
got five smolts of salmon and grilse, the bull trout being still most abun- 
dant. The trout smolts this season were stronger and larger than I ever 
recollect of seeing them, many resembling the smaller class of ‘ Blacktail.’ 
I cut some open, and in each and all found some of the ‘ fry ;’ in one as 
many as seven. I may also mention one peculiarity in regard to the ex- 
periments of the past season, viz., that large numbers of ‘ perch’ (on 
some days many hundreds) were captured during several of the days of 
experimenting, and also to the extraordinary circumstance of a pike 5 or 
6 lbs. weight being caught by myself when angling for salmon upon the 
7th June, nearly a quarter of a mile below the Union Bridge, and where 
the tide flows daily. Pike in the lower parts of the Tweed were never 
before known. What is to be the consequence to the salmon if these fish 
increase to any extent? 
“ At the annual meeting in 1858, I received permission to mark a species 
of fish locally called ‘ Blacktail,’ which are generally captured in the 
tideway, and which, by the old fishermen, are held to be adult fish. I 
was likewise empowered by the same meeting to follow out the marking 
of the Kelts in the spring—to try and ascertain, if possible, at what 
period they return from the sea to the river as clean fish. 
NEW SERIES.—-VOL. XIV. NO. 11.—ocT. 1861. It 
