492 Dr KNOX on the Natural History of 



nearly to extermination on the spawning ground, and the fish used as an article of 

 food almost universally. So active is this search for the spawning fish, and so efficient 

 the means and instruments of destruction, that it appears to me incredible that any 

 should escape. Nevertheless by secreting themselves with infinite care, aided by the 

 muddy state of the streams in winter, by the inclemency of the season, interfering a 

 good deal with the lounging of poachers and idle persons on the banks, the smaller 

 kinds of them do escape in considerable numbers, and the banks of a very considerable 

 number of the tributary streams of great salmon rivers, being in many instances now 

 nearly uninhabited, even a few large fish succeed in depositing their spawn ; but reap- 

 pearing in the stream in spring as kelts or spent fish, they are once more pursued, and 

 are again taken to extermination if possible. Their condition during the winter in 

 rivers must be viewed as a state almost approaching to hybernation. They lie nearly 

 stationary for weeks when they find the place gives security. They eat nothing, so 

 that their condition seems to me to approach closely the state of hybernation. Our 

 personal experience with regard to the feeding of the kelt, is certainly not extensive ; 

 but when the melting of the snow and spring rains swell the rivers, he seems to begin 

 to move about, and takes the food at that time to be found in rivers, and, like the smolt, 

 may feed very actively on his journey to the ocean. The only admissible proof of this, 

 viz. the inspection of the contents of the stomach of the kelt under a variety of circum- 

 stances by a competent person, is wanting. The observations should discriminate the 

 true salmon from the salmon-trout, &c. 



V, 



2. Hybernation of Trout. 



MY attention to the probable hybernation of the trout during the winter months, was 

 first called by my friend Mr A. DARLING, and afterwards by Mr WALKER. Mr DARLING, 

 to whom my obligations throughout this inquiry have been very great, mentioned to me 

 that in clearing out some drains and well heads, communicating with the running stream 

 of the river, and during which operation the workmen had to cut down not only the 

 bank of the drain composed of soft mud, but also to dig into the gravelly and muddy 

 bed of the drain itself, they found imbedded in the soft materials, I have just men- 

 tioned, vast numbers of trout of various sizes, shewing little signs of life, until put into 

 the stream. Parts of them seemed as if frozen. This fact was observed by a num- 

 ber of persons often, and can be repeated. This habit may be confined to the spawn- 

 ing fish, which I have found by no means includes all the trout, whether large or 

 small, in a river. I shall here insert a short extract from my journal of observations, 

 which will best explain to the naturalist my meaning : " Of fifteen trout, varying 

 from 9 to 1.4 inches, taken on 23d September, by a net, in the Annan, at Hallbeath, 

 and after a long course of dry weather, there were eleven of the largest, in whom the 

 organs of generation had undergone no increase whatever ; so that it was quite evi- 



improper persons, is a subject well worthy the investigation of the Legislature ; as this is the only 

 means by which positively unwholesome salmon can be imposed on the public, and is at the same 

 time a strong inducement to poaching. 



