SALMON. 47 



in fresh-water. Allowing for the consumption 

 of material requisite for the purposes of repro- 

 duction, and the wear-and-tear consequent on 

 making their way up stiff currents, leaping 

 falls, and laboriously toiling up rocky cantons 

 still I contend, if only a partial equivalent was 

 resupplied in the shape of food, waste would not 

 go on to the actual death of the muscles, that 

 slough away in large pieces, as the exhausted 

 fish makes feeble efforts to struggle on ; dying 

 at last a loathsome mass of rotting animal 

 matter. 



Sores, in both male and female fish, often arise 

 from injuries inflicted by the teeth of a jealous 

 adversary ; but these wounds are utterly differ- 

 ent from the sloughing ulcer, arising, as I be- 

 lieve, from sheer lack of vital force. These 

 salmon veritably consume themselves, and perish, 

 when life's stove burns out, for want of fuel to 

 keep it alight. 



In August the Chilukweyuk river became per- 

 fectly unendurable from the quantities of dead fish 

 floating down. I had with me a splendid retriever, 

 that, to my disgust and annoyance, used to amuse 

 himself, during my absence from the tent, by 

 swimming in after the floating salmon, bring- 

 ing them ashore, and safely storing them in my 



