486 Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [sess. 
October Salmon in the Sea. By D. Noel Paton, M.D. 
(With Three Plates.) 
(MS. received June 29, 1903. Read July 20, 1903.) 
While, as a result of recent investigation, a good deal is now known 
of the life history of salmon in fresh water, we possess little 
knowledge of their mode of existence in the sea. 
There is evidence that they may travel far seaward in the 
pursuit of their great food, the herring, and that they may be 
captured at parts of the coast at long distances from the river in 
which they spawned. Further work is required to elucidate the 
question of what proportion return to their native river and what 
number may ascend other streams. An extensive series of marking 
experiments can alone give the answers to these questions. 
During the spring and summer months the bag nets along the 
East Coast of Scotland afford a means of capturing and studying 
the salmon which approach the coast during that period, hut the 
termination of the netting season towards the end of August 
renders it impossible to investigate the condition of fish which 
remain in the sea beyond that date. 
It was suggested before the Royal Commission on Salmon 
Fisheries of 1900 that valuable information might he obtained by 
keeping out ranges of hag nets at suitable positions during the 
whole of the close season. But the expense of this would he very 
considerable ; and, so far, the recommendation has not been adopted 
An unexpected opportunity of studying the condition of salmon 
captured in the sea in October presented itself during the winter 
1902-1903. 
Thanks to the activity of Mr Morris, the energetic officer of the 
Fishmongers Company, several seizures of salmon were made at 
Dunbar between October 13th and 29th, 1902. The fish were 
preserved in the cold stores at Leith, and after the conclusion of 
the prosecution they were placed at my disposal for ex- 
amination. 
When received by me on February 7th they were frozen hard, 
and were in a very perfect state of preservation. 
