308 
THE PRINCIPLES OF 
Part II. 
are many difficulties in arriving at any just conclusion/' 51 Infertile 
females might readily be mistaken for males, as Dr. Gunther has 
remarked to me in regard to trout. With some species the males 
are believed to die soon after fertilising the ova. With many species 
the males are of much smaller size than the females, so that a large 
number of males would escape from the same net by which the 
females were caught. M. Carbonnier, 52 who has especially attended 
to the natural history of the pike ( Esox Indus) states that many 
males, owing to their small size, are devoured by the larger females ; 
and he believes that the males of almost all fish are exposed from 
the same cause to greater danger than the females. Nevertheless 
in the few cases in which the proportional numbers have been 
actually observed, the males appear to be largely in excess. Thus 
Mr. R. Buist, the superintendent of the Stormont field experi- 
ments, says that in 1865, out of 70 salmon first landed for the 
purpose of obtaining the ova, upwards of 60 were males. In 
1867 he again “calls attention to the vast disproportion of the 
“males to the females. We had at the outset at least ten males 
“ to one female. ” Afterwards sufficient females for obtaining ova 
were procured. He adds, “ from the great proportion of the 
“ males, they are constantly fighting and tearing each other on the 
“ spawning-beds.” 53 This disproportion, no doubt, can be accounted 
for in part, but whether wholly is very doubtful, by the males 
ascending the rivers before the females. Mr. F. Buckland remarks 
in regard to trout, that “it is a curious fact that the males prepon- 
“ derate very largely in number over the females. It invariably 
“ happens that when the first rush of fish is made to the net, there 
“ will be at least seven or eight males to one female found captive. 
“ I cannot quite account for this ; either the males are more numer- 
“ ous than the females, or the latter seek safety by concealment 
“ rather than flight.” He then adds, that by carefully searching the 
banks, sufficient females for obtaining ova can be found. 54 Mr. H. 
Lee informs me that out of 212 trout, taken for this purpose in Lord 
Portsmouth’s park, 150 were males and 62 females. 
With the (typrinida? the males likewise seem to be in excess ; 
but several members of this Family, viz., the carp, tench, bream 
and minnow, appear regularly to follow the practice, rare in the 
51 Leuckart quotes Bloch (Wagner, 6 Handworterbuch der Phys.’ B. iv. 
1853, s. 775), that with fish there are twice as many males as females. 
52 Quoted in the 4 Farmer,’ March 18, 1869, p. 369. 
53 4 The Stormontfield Piscicultural Experiments,’ 1866, p. 23. The 
4 Field ’ newspaper, June 29th, 1867. 
54 4 Land and Water,’ 1868, p. 41. 
