84 



Appendices to Twenty -second Annual Report 



APPENDIX III. 



A CONTRIBUTION TO THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE 

 SALMON, AS OBSERVED BY MEANS OF MARKING 

 ADULT FISH. 



[Second Paper] 



BY 



W. L. CALDERWOOD, 

 Inspector of Salmon Fisheries for Scotland. 



Since the publication of my first paper giving the results of salmon 

 marking (Twentieth Annual Report, Part II., p. 55) sixty-two addi- 

 tional recaptures have been made. 



The process of marking has been carried on without material change 

 of method. One or two appliances have been experimented with to 

 secure weighing of the fish with as little risk of damage as possible, but 

 for fish of ordinary weights, by far the most convenient and serviceable 

 appliance is the simple tail-band of soft plaited worsted with a ring at 

 each end, one ring being flattened or smaller than the other, so that by 

 passing through the wider ring a noose is formed. The mark itself has 

 been slightly modified. The wire now passes not merely across the 

 outside surface of the plate, but through a hole at each end. In this 

 way, if the soldering yields, the plate cannot fall off, as, by experience, 

 we have found does occasionally happen. Mr. Holt has, in Ireland, 

 adopted a double plate so that, without removing the mark, the 

 distinguishing number can be read, and he also has the marks oxidised 

 to render them less conspicuous to other fish, it having been found that 

 the bright mark may excite the cariosity of fish and render the creature 

 so decorated liable to annoyance. 



Mr. Holt has kindly sent me a few of these darkened marks, and 

 some of them have been used on Tay fish during the past winter. 



The additional recaptures which I am now able to report are as 

 follows : — 



[Table 



