and on the Salmon-^ Fisheries, 839 
states, that they are “ without visible ova or spermatic secretion ,* are found in sal- 
mon rivers, a mile or two from the sea, and which return to the sea, without 
attempting a farther migration p. 145. Mr Little, who knows this fish by 
different names in different rivers, as hirlings, whiteings, or finnocks, declares, 
“ We never see such a fish in Ireland, in the rivers we are concerned with.” In 
the rivers that run into the Solway Frith and in the Tweed, and in some other 
'rivers, they are found 5 but in a great number of rivers they are not. They are 
only found in those rivers where they breed. There are a few in the river Tay, 
shaped, and headed, and tailed like a sahnon. They are from 12 to 15 inches 
in length. Some of them will cut up red, but they are mostly white. — We 
frequently do not find them in rivers where salmon are : there are many rivers 
where there are salmon, where no such fish are known j we see them going 
doAvn helt in the same way as we see a large salmon going down after spawn- 
ing p. 110. Mr Halliday states, “ that in Carlisie they call them whitings s 
in Annan hirlings, and in the north finnocks. I never saw any in the Tay ; 
but I have taken 100 dozen- in the Annan at one draught. It is about 12 in- 
ches long. The tail of the hirling is straighter than that of the salmon or 
grilse, and it is quite a short-headed fish ; neither does the head of the hirling 
shoot like that of the salmon Avhen he is going to spawn. The largest I ever 
saw was about |ths of a pound. My reasons for believing that they are not 
the young salmon, are, that when “ they go up the rivers, they are as full of 
spawn for their size as the salmon is ; and when they come down in the spring 
of the year kelts, we are getting the young salmon p. 63. Mr Johnstone 
agrees with the preceding witnesses, in asserting the ordinary presence of ova 
and spermatic secretion, and in considering this fish as a distinct species, 
“ They are called hirlings on the Scotch side of the Solway, whitings on the 
English side ; hirlings, whitings or whitlings at Berwick ; whitelings in the 
Tay ; and finnocks in the north of Scotland p. 37. 
V. Par Mr Little is the only witness Avho is questioned in reference 
to this fish. “ I have seen them ; but I consider them merely a fresh-water 
fish, or a species of fish by themselves, unconnected with our saimon-fisheries' 
altogether;” p. 113. 
It is probable, that some species of migratory trouts have not been noti- 
ced at all. The river fishers are better acquainted with the trouts than the frith 
fishers — But we return to the Habits of the Salmon, as furnishing mate-^ 
rials for regulating the legislative enactments of this kingdom. 
Before entering upon this branch of the subject, it may be proper to state, 
that the present legal time for beginning the salmon-fishing varies in diffe- 
rent rivers, from the 10th December (in the Tay) to the 12th March (in the 
Solway) ; and that the fishing-season legally ends, according to the rivers, 
from the 12th August (Ireland generally) to the 4th December (in the Teign). 
Hoav far these terms are suitable or improper will presently appear. 
In the more important actions of the salmon, viz. migration and spaivn- 
ing, there is a season during which these are executed by the greatest number 
of individuals, occupying, however, a range of some months. But there are 
individuals, executing these operations irregularly, at other periods. Mr 
little says, “ There are some rivers in which you ivill get some good salmon all 
