THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
JOLY 13. 
! 281 
1 This curvature of the under-jaw is peculiar both to the male 
salmon and the trout, and which is more or less developed 
according to age, or state of health of the tisli. On the 
j ascent from the sea, the hook is merely observable, but after 
j the exhaustion of spawning, the reduced condition of the 
fish renders it more conspicuous ; and should obstacles pre¬ 
vent the proper period of return to the sea, a cartilaginous 
extension takes place (whence it is called Carraugliabaugh), 
but which disappears on the renewed health of the fish, in 
its visit to the sea. In aged fish, particularly in large trout, 
this curvature becomes permanent in its enlargement, form¬ 
ing a deep fossette in the upper jaw. Without a good 
foundation of scientific and practical knowledge combined in 
the pursuits of such subjects, it is a task of great difficulty to 
i select with judgment the plausible opinions that are frequently 
■ advanced by writers of known character, but who at the time, 
| perhaps, only possess general views of the matter of which 
; they treat. Thus, Mr. Keillor’s observations, given in “ Lloyd’s 
Scandinavian Adventures,” states the habit of the salmon of 
the Save, in Norway, to be such as are altogether different 
from that of the British Isles. Forming no channel for the 
deposit of the ova, but allowing it to float away with the 
stream, impregnated by the milt similarly floating, and, 
finally, whatever escapes the rapacity of the river fish, 
settles in some crevice or rock until the fry is excluded. 
This is so contrary to the natural principles of the family of 
the true salmons as scarcely to be worthy of dependance; for, 
more probably, the floating ova that escaped the maws 
of hungry trout would settle in some quiet pool beyond 
the medium for maturation, and finally perish. In fact, 
it is characteristic of the Clupeidse or herring family, 
which, in the spawning seasons, seek the inlets and 
shallows of our shores, where the excluded ova, in myriads, 
float away at the mercy of the tides; besides, a far greater 
distinction exists in the specific gravity of the ova of the 
salmon, the trout, and the herring—those of the former, 
the greater portion sink at once to the bed or furrow, 
where, impregnated by the male, and remain without 
removal. In the Clupeidae expulsion of the ova in masses 
spread far, and float a considerable time, even where no 
force of tide or wave would drive. IVe know of that family 
that the shad — both Alosa Jinta and alosa communis — 
ascend in the early part of summer from the sea to the fresh 
water to spawn ; but they seek the sluggish parts of a river, 
or the quiet waters of the lake, where the ova float, to be 
impregnated, similar in habit to the herring. The shad 
has been taken in salmon nets in the lakes at Killarney, and 
in rivers in Kerry. Some discussion also arose in the society 
that the clean spring fish ascending the Caragh river, in the 
county Kerry, in January, remained in the fresh water 
throughout the summer, and spawned the following autumn 
without revisiting the sea before spawning. _ It is necessary, 
for the proper development of the ova and milt, that the 
fish should be in the healthiest state of vigour; consequently, 
a sojourn in the fresh water for so many months must 
greatly deteriorate the condition of the fish, and render 
them unequal to such important functions. The wild and 
romantic districts of Kerry, which supply the waters of. 
the Laune and the Caragh, have for years been familiar to 
me. Its salmon fisheries, therefore, would naturally interest 
me. Salmon are found ascending the Caragh very early in 
! the autumn for the spawning beds, being at that time, in 
1 August, and early in September, with the ova largely 
developed. These are the early breeding fish and subse¬ 
quently are the run of early spring salmon. After the 
operations are completed in the spawning beds, the fish 
return to the sea to recruit, and are again to bo met early in 
January in the fresh water in the primest condition. These 
fish do not then visit the river or lake for the purpose of 
spawning, nor remain until that time approaches, for salmon 
do not at all times enter the rivers for the object of 
breeding. Seasons and localities alone influence the salmon 
to proceed to the spawning beds, according to the condition 
of the early and late breeding fish. Mr. Shaw’s experiment 
proves that the salmon which he captured for the purpose 
of obtaining the ova for artificial impregnation, and placed 
in ponds, after he had successfully effected the object, on 
being liberated from the ponds at once moved towards the 
I sea. Frequent remarks have been advanced, that to the 
destructive floods of 1848 and 1840 were to be attributed 
the scarcity of salmon the following years. I was on the 
south-west coast, in the season of 1849 and 1850. Our 
salmon fisheries in the Feohnnagh and the Clehane, were | 
complete failures in 1850, and there certainly was a scarcity j 
of peal that season. Our western rivers are very late, ' 
and salmon do not, in the generality of them, approach j 
until late in the season. After the season had closed the 
salmon were plentiful in the estuaries, and this was 
strikingly the case late in the season of 1850—for great 
quantities of fish were hanging about the mouths of the 
rivers, unable, or uninclined, to ascend until very late in 
the season. The season of that year was uncommonly' 
dry, and the rivers were low the greater part of the j 
autumn ; and it was not until October that the fish entered 
the rivers. At that time I heard that those that were I 
taken were in prime condition. On inquiries, the same i 
season, I found that similar causes to some extent affected 
the Lee and the Slaney, and that long after the season 
had closed the salmon were to be found going up the rivers, 
and in prime condition. This went far to prove that in I 
some of those late rivers the season closes much too early 
(at least for the rod) ; and on the other hand, the season 
should not commence too early. Again, there are exceptions, 
for in some rivers there is a good run of clean fish the greater 
part of the year. It is quite clear that salmon do not desert 
the rivers of their origin, for whatever natural causes may 
induce or oppose their earlier or later ascent from the sea, 
they invariably seek the parent stream. Their visits to the 
sea are confined to those depths off the coast where the 
river disembogues, and where rocky ledges and sandy and 
shingly channels afford protection, and abundance of marine 
animals for the proper nourishment of their rapid growth. 
Experience has proved to me the unsound views advanced 
of the migration of fish. Cod, ling, haddock, hake, pollock, 
and herrings, are throughout the year in the deep water, 
their proper feeding grounds bordering the parts of the coast, 
and the bays and estuaries, where they each season approach 
to spawn. All oviparous fish visit the shoalcr parts of a 
coast to spawn, and those periods are now the seasons of the 
fishermen’s harvest. An experimental cruise in 1850 proved 
the correctness of these views. On proper sounding grounds I 
off the coast the finest ling and cod were taken long after j 
the usual season was over, thus fully bearing out the state- [ 
ments that had been made to the late Admiral Sir Thomas | 
Ussher and to the Earl of Clarendon. My friend, James j 
Edw. Stopford, Esq., in connexion with the Royal Irish 
Fisheries Company, is now on the south-west coast working ! 
out more extensively these trials. In these inquiries it is 
difficult to overcome the prejudices and habits of the coast 
fishermen—educated only in the knowledge of their fathers, j 
they are hostile to any innovation of that knowledge, and | 
therefore cannot comprehend the views of the practical j 
naturalist, to learn accurately the nature of the soundings, 
the marine animals, the characteristics of and distribution of j 
fish, which all tend to arrive at information so necessary 
with regard to the feeding, the spawning grounds, and the 
habits of animals connected with so important a branch of 
resource. In concluding, these observations must only be 
considered general, as it is my intention to enter more 
minutely into the distinctive details that characterise the 
Salmonidffi. I have to regret, however, the absence of Mr. ! 
Ffennell, whose able assistance would have been valuable on 
this subject, which he had started in the Society, and invited 
it to the discussion. It is a subject, also, that requires the 
aid of the sound judgment of the practical men of the 
great Scotch fisheries.” 
The Chairman said that the salmon fisheries of Ireland i 
had for some years past excited great interest, and general, 
yet it was a subject that appeared not to have been under¬ 
stood. He would be glad to hear any remarks from the | 
members upon the statements-which Mr. Andrews had sub¬ 
mitted. 
Dr. Kinahan made the following statement:—In the paper 
read by me at our last meeting, 1 stated that on one point 1 
was still in doubt, viz., how far varieties combine inter se. 
Since then, I liavo been enabled to arrive at the following 
conclusions on this subject, opportunely indeed, as it com¬ 
pletes the scheme I was endeavouring to lay before you :— 
I find that these combinations do take place occasionally, 
and that they, with a very few exceptions (more, I am 
