of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



43 



APPENDIX III. 



REPORT ON A MALE KELT, KEPT FOR A YEAR IN FRESH 

 WATER, AND FOUND TO BE AGAIN RIPE FOR SPAWNING. 



In a letter from Mr. Thomas Pilkington, of Sandsicle, Caithness, dated 

 2nd November, 1908. I received information respecting this remarkable 

 fish. At Sandside Mr. Pilkington has formed several ponds in connection 

 with his hatchery. Towards the end of the fishing season salmon are 

 from time to time taken from the Sandside coast nets and transferred 

 to the ponds, where they are held up till ripe, when they are stripped and 

 allowed to return to the sea by a neighbouring burn. In the letter 

 referred to Mr. Pilkington writes : — 



" Last year, when we were spawning our fish, a male grilse which had 

 " had the milt taken from it was overlooked and left in the small catchpit, 

 "and is there now! He is quite fit apparently, and has his proper 

 "quantity of milt, and as seen under the microscope it appears to be 

 " perfectly good, and we shall hope to mako use of it when we get some 

 " ova." 



That a salmon, without visiting the sea after spawning and obtaining 

 there the store of nourishment upon which the growth of the genitalia so 

 largely depends, should be able again to reproduce its species, seemed to 

 me so remarkable that I at once wrote asking Mr. Pilkington if he would 

 be good enough to allow an analysis of the fish to be made. At the same 

 time I communicated with Professor Noel Paton, to whom one naturally 

 turns for all information respecting the physiology of the salmon. The 

 result was that the fish was shortly afterwards sent direct to Glasgow 

 University, where Professor Noel Paton very kindly investigated the 

 matter. 



In agreeing to send the fish, Mr. Pilkington further stated by letter of 

 13th November — "We spawned some fish yesterday and milted from this 

 "fish 500 ova, which we are keeping apart . . . 



" The catch-pit in which this fish was accidentally left last year (after 

 " he had been milted) was only about 12 feet by 6 feet at the outside, and 

 " there would not generally be more than a foot of water in it, with very 

 " little of a stream from the burn, and during the summer only the 

 " merest trickle." 



The ova fertilised by the milt of this fish developed quite normally. 



With regard to the weight of this fish, I am able to compare kelt- 

 weights of similar length from the same locality, since for some years 

 Mr. Pilkington has had his impounded fish marked before they are set at 

 liberty. I give the following series of male kelts of somewhat similar 

 length : — 



It is clear, therefore, that the fish when thus ripe still corresponded in 

 weight to the kelt condition. 



28 inches, 5Jlb. 



28 „ 5ilb. 



29 „ 6llb. 

 291 „ 5ilb. 

 28 „ 6 lb. 

 28 „ 7ilb. 



27 inches, 4ilb. 



27 „ 4|lb. 



27 „ 5 lb. 



27 „ 4ilb. 



27 „ 5 lb. 



27 „ 5ilb. 



W. L. Calderwood. 



D 



