The Salmon 



of each other. On carefully examining a bed after a fish has spawned, 

 or when it is spawning, one may see a considerable quantity of spawn at 

 the lower end of the bed, uncovered with gravel. This may be either 

 washed away by the first flood, or eaten up by trout or sea-trout. 



Conditions of weather and water have a great effect on salmon as 

 regards spawning. A night's frost is the best thing to hasten spawn- 



FlG. 50. Showing Salmon Spawning-Beds on River Almond. November 1905. 



ing ; while if a freshet come on, even although a fish has begun to 

 spawn, it will leave its bed and go higher up and begin a new one. 

 Fish may be seen spawning at any time of the day or night, but they 

 are most active from sundown till midnight, when they usually leave 

 off and fall back into the pools. Sometimes, if the river is very low, 

 they move up to the spawning-beds as soon as darkness sets in. At 

 such a time their backs may be discerned above water, and you may 

 hear the flop, flop of the female every time she turns on her side 



