d that they lived a month, this would bring us to the
time when they are about to migrate, at which time they average
more than six inches long; many of them are eight inches, and at
this period they are fond of feeding upon worms, flies, maggots,
and caddis worms, as is known to every schoolboy living on the
banks of a river frequented by Salmon. It is also my opinion that
neither Salmon nor Trout spawn every year, [2] for Salmon ascend
the river as early as January, in the highest condition, with roe
in them no bigger than mustard seed: these could not have spawned
that season, as the Kelts, particularly the females, do not return
to the sea until March or April, [3] and at that time they are in
very bad condition, and do not appear to have a particle of spawn
in them; and in the evidence of Mr. Mackenzie (see Parl. Rep., p.
21), we have an account of a Grilse Kelt which was caught and
marked in March, 1823, and was again caught as a Salmon on its
return to the river in March, 1824. In this case the fish had
evidently required a residence of twelve months in the sea before
it was in a condition to visit the river a second time, and in the
Wharfe it is the constant practice of the angler to catch Trout
through the winter with very minute roe in them, and in high
condition with the worm and Salmon roe, and also with night lines.
In fact, one of the fishermen has frequently remarked to me that
he occasionally caught dishes of Trout with the fly in January,
and in finer condition, than he has found them in April, which he
accounted for by saying that the spawned fish (Kelts) of that
season had not begun to rise freely at the fly at the former
period, but they had at the latter, so that his pannier contained
as many Kelts as fresh fish. Another reason has just occurred to
me: it is, that in January the spawned fish will still be in the
small brooks in which they are so fond of breeding, and of course
the bulk of the fish remaining in the river at that time would be
fish in good season.

As it is some years since I acquired this information, or at least
a part of it, I felt afraid of giving it incorrectly; and I
therefore addressed a letter to a friend living on the banks of
the Wharfe, requesting him to send me all the information in his
possession on this subject, that derived from his own observations,
as well as that collected from others. He has since the above was
written sent me the following reply:--"I have seen R