64 



Appendices to Thirteenth Annual Report 



Annelids. 



Heteronereis, two examples, 4|- inches long. 



It is very probable that the Crustacea were contained in the stomachs 

 of the fishes captured by the salmon. The horny investments of the 

 Ampliipoda &c. would render the digestion of these forms in the stomach 

 of the salmon much slower than the digestion of the herring or sand-eel, 

 which had in the first place swallowed them. 



The Proportion of Male and Female Fish taken at Berwick 

 in each Month of the Season. 



This investigation throws some light on the habits of salmon. From 

 an examination of Table II. showing the sex of the fish opened at Berwick 

 during the last nine years, it will be seen that the proportion of male to 

 female fish seeking the river varies throughout the season. Approximately 

 there is one male for every three females in February, one for every four 

 in April, then an increase to two males for every five females at the close 

 of the netting season. To judge from the number of fish taken during 

 the rod season, the proportion of males to females then in the river would 

 appear to be nearly equal, though the females are still in the majority. 

 But, as Mr Archer suggests, there is no saying how long some of these 

 fish may have been in the river, nor is it certain that either sex will take 

 the angler's lure with equal readiness. 



The sex of a large number of the fish not opened was estimated. The 

 figures thus obtained will be found in the last two columns of the salmon 

 table. The percentages agree in the main with those derived from the 

 totals of fish opened during the years 1886-94. The figures for 1894 

 include returns of fish (both salmon and grilse) opened by dealers 

 supplied by the Company. The figures for the years 1886-93 cannot be 

 taken as an accurate indication of the proportion in which male and 

 female fish frequent the river during the season, because the fish opened 

 at the Company's Fish House are selected for their appearance, and since 

 the female salmon is generally the better-looking fish, it is evident that 

 the proportion of female fish is overstated, while that of male fish is 

 understated. For grilse the proportion of males to females is fairly 

 constant, the greatest number of males occurring in July. Over all, 

 the females are in a majority of about 13%. The Salmon Company did 

 not permit an examination of the unopened grilse, — hence there is no 

 estimation of sex for grilse as in the case of salmon. 



