2 0 F. DAY: EARLY AND LATE SALMON RIVERS. 



the " anadromous period " of the river.' But however applicable such a 

 designation might at first sight appear, very strong objections must occur 

 to restricting such a term to migrations of anadromous Salmonidse. 

 For in some rivers they only ascend at the spawning time, while Char 

 migrate at the same season for breeding purposes, from the depths 

 of lakes or large pieces of water, to suitable streams and shallows, in 

 order to deposit their ova and milt ; and this time with the char 

 would be as completely their ' anadromous period ' as when similar 

 conditions in the salmon caused similar movements ; but char are 

 not anadromous forms : even carps in Asia similarly migrate at 

 spawning time, as well as many other fish, and to term such migra- 

 tions 'anadromous periods' in some fish and not in others would 

 clearly be erroneous. 



In the Report of the Salmon Commissioners for 1861 is a table 

 showing, as far as could be ascertained, the periods at which the local 

 Justices fixed the close time for rivers in their respective districts. 

 Thus, in the Trent and Somersetshire Avon it began on August 12 th, 

 in the Ribble August 31st, in many rivers in September, some in 

 October, others in November, a few in December, and in the Devon- 

 shire Avon in the middle of January, ceasing on May 6th. These 

 varying periods would seem to show either that the salmon bred at 

 different times in different rivers, or were variously in season at different 

 places, or that the close time was not arranged solely in the interests 

 of the spawning fish, the condition of the trout having possibly been 

 taken into account. 



Thus a very important consideration respecting the natural history 

 of salmon rivers is why some should be ' early ' and others ' late,' or 

 in other words, why some should contain fishes in a marketable 

 condition prior to other streams, and those frequently being con- 

 tiguous ones. This is not a question simply regarding the period 

 or season during which the salmon breeds, but at what time sufficient 

 numbers of clean fish may be present in a river which might be 

 reasonably captured for food without injuriously affecting future years' 

 supply. 



It is unnecessary to enter upon a detailed examination of how, up 

 to 1858, three different close seasons were in force in Scotland, as for 

 the Solway, the Tweed, and fisheries to the north of the latter river. 

 How in England and Wales, up to 1861, the close season commenced 

 in various localities from August 12th to the middle of January. 

 How after 1861 this season was arbitrarily fixed between Sep- 

 tember 1 st and February ist j and how in 1873 an Act was passed 

 permitting the commencement of the close season to be varied 

 between certain limits, provided it did not begin later than Novem- 



Naturalist, 



