of the Fishery Board for Scotland, 



The case of this twice-recaught fish is also of interest as an example of a 

 consistent return to the original river. I have mentioned before now that 

 various indications are not wanting to suggest that transference from one 

 river to another is made by fish under certain conditions as yet little under- 

 stood. It is remarkable that certain rivers seldom hold large fish, while other 

 rivers commonly do so. From the Helmsdale also not a few fish have migrated 

 southward past the Brora and past the entrance to the Dornoch Firth, and 

 have been recaught south of Tarbet Ness. I regard it as unlikely that 

 such fish would ever return to the Helmsdale. Deveron fish, in the same 

 way, have been repeatedly taken south of the Moray Firth, on the coast of 

 Aberdeenshire, and in one case as far south as the Firth of Forth. The 

 thrice-caught Helmsdale fish shows clearly, however, that other fish will 

 return to their native river with constancy. It is more than likely that 

 this is the most usual condition. Our coastal recaptures point only to a 

 comparatively small percentage of travelling fish — 31 instances. The 

 point of interest is that one direction of travel predominates. 



I am able in this report to introduce a chart showing the movements of 

 fish which have been recaptured on the coast. The chart was prepared for 

 my last year's report, but by some unexplained oversight the report 

 appeared without the chart. Only two additional lines are added to it, 

 viz., one representing the case just referred to of the Helmsdale fish 

 recaptured on the coast of the Spey district ; the other (Z) on the West 

 Coast— the case of a fish which I marked in the Spean, at the mouth of the 

 Roy, on 26th November, 1907. It was recaught at Minard, at the mouth 

 of Loch Feochan, on 16th July, 1908. It had added 4| pounds to its 

 weight in the interval. The line representing the migration from the 

 Deveron to Elie Ness, in the Firth of Forth, marks the longest distance 

 travelled by any recaptured fish to date. The distance is 150 miles, 

 being rather longer than the Grimersta to Castletown fish (Line A). 

 The dotted lines on the chart represent migrations in a northward direc- 

 tion. There are six such movements, compared with twenty-five south- 

 ward or eastward movements. 



The following records refer to the recaptures shown on the chart. The 

 circular markings on the chart at a distance from the land show approxi- 

 mately where salmon have been captured by fishing vessels : — 



Reference to Chart. 



Line A — Kelt marked in the Grimersta, W. Lewis. 



Recaught in five months at Castletown, near Thurso. 



Described still as a kelt. 

 Line A 1 — Kelt marked in Borgie. 



Recaught at Sandside, Caithness. 

 Line A 2 — Kelt marked in Naver. 



Recaught at Sandside, Caithness. 

 Line B — Kelt marked in Brora. 



Recaught in Bighouse Bay, Pentland Firth, 100 miles N. and W. 

 Line B 1 — Kelt marked in Ness. 



Recaught in Cromarty nets. 

 Line D — Kelt marked in Brora. 



Recaught at Berriedale. 

 Lines E, F, and G— Three Helmsdale fish recaptured in the Brora. 

 Lines H, I, S, and T— Four Helmsdale fish recaptured at Portmahomack, S. 

 of Tarbet Ness. 



Line H 1 — A Helmsdale fish recaptured in 4| months at Buckpool, Spey District. 

 Lines J and J 1 — Two Deveron fish caught to the west near or at the mouth of 

 the Spey. 



Lines K, L, M, M 1 , M 2 , N, O, P, Q, and R— Ten Deveron fish which have 

 passed eastwards out of the Moray Firth, and were recaptured 

 on the coasts of Aberdeen and Kincardine shires. 



Line W — A Deveron fish which in four months travelled from the Forglen 

 Water, 8 or 9 miles up river, to Elie Ness, in Firth of Forth. 

 The distance is 150 miles, and is the furthest as yet obtained. 



