128 ABSTRACT OF EVIDENCE 



rally spawn in the upper parts of the river out of 

 the tide ; they may spawn where the tide reaches ; 

 often in the shallow fords, and in small streams 

 connected with large ones ; roe and milt begin to 

 appear in May ; applies this to all rivers, and to 

 salmon generally ; the latter exhausted by being in 

 the fresh water ; would go back to the sea, if they 

 could, to recruit their strength ; get worms and 

 maggots if long in the fresh water, and these 

 would kill them if they did not go back to the sea 

 in order to acquire strength to spawn ; best in 

 season when they have the sea-louse ; does not 



NOTES. 



more matter of curiosity than of consequence, since we 

 can neither add to or diminish their powers of multiplica- 

 tion; and, as I have said before, the fewer they produce 

 the more they should be taken care of. What this gentle- 

 man says about the different species is answered before ; — 

 it is opinion only, he knows of no experiments. He confirms 

 what I had before published about the destruction by the 

 mill-wheel. He also thinks that the fence days should be the 

 same all the kingdom over. I am indebted to Mr. Johnson 

 for thus confirming every thing which I published three 

 years ago in the Western Luminary ; he but differs from 

 me in opinion as to the species of gilse and salmon. I have 

 observed before, that nothing is more easy than to catch all 

 the grampuses, porpoises, and seals, when in the estuaries 

 and rivers ; the two former have only one young one at a 

 time, and if their number were once materially diminished, 

 they would not be soon recruited. The Mysticetus whale 

 is almost annihilated in Greenland. I do not under- 



