SALMON. 89 



spring or summer-run fish, it has been supposed that this hook — sometimes an inch or more 

 in length — has been absorbed, during the fish's sojourn in the sea. But it is more probable 

 that these old males perish, according to the observations of several ichthyologists. 



The non-feeding of the Salmon during its abode in fresh vi^ater I have already alluded to. 

 That this is a fact I have verified myself in numerous instances ; other observers have done the 

 same. If it be asked how can muscular force be maintained for some months without food, 

 the answer is an easy one. The Salmon lives on Its own internal fat, stores of which are 

 laid up throughout the whole body of the fish, especially in the abdominal regions, and around 

 the pyloric caeca. Let any one compare the difference in the quality of the flesh between a 

 sea-fed Salmon and one that has been some time in a river. In the first case the abdomen 

 is tremulous with fatty matter, whilst the flesh of the river fish, though firm, is comparatively 

 destitute of fat. And this continued abstinence from food is no doubt, to a considerable 

 extent, the reason of the fish's gradual deterioration, till the exhausting process of spawning 

 renders the Salmon now quite unfit for food. The Salmon's abode, therefore, in fresh water, 

 should be regarded as a quasi-hybernation, during which life is maintained by stores already 

 laid up in the organism. That muscular force may be maintained, and in fact that it is 

 chiefly kept up by the combustion, not of the nitrogenous elements, but of the carbonaceous, 

 has been rendered tolerably certain, and the circumstance that a Salmon may move about for 

 a long time in fresh water without supplies of food beyond its own abundant fat, is not actually 

 much more than a further instance of what takes place in hybernating animals, as the bear, 

 which goes fat into winter quarters, and comes out very thin. The same may be said with 

 regard to experiments that have been made, showing that the Swiss mountains may be 

 ascended solely upon the strength afforded by butter and other non-nitrogenous food. 



It may be objected again that the Salmon occasionally taking an artificial fly, must show 

 that it does take natural food in the river. But a fish will sometimes seize a bait more for 

 sport than from a desire to swallow it. What does an artificial Salmon-fly, with its glittering 

 tinsel and gaudy colours, resemble in nature ? Certainly no kind of winged insect, not even 

 a brilliant dragon-fly, either in form or motion ; no libclliila or agrion ever swims in the water, 

 least of all after the fashion in which the artificial fly is made to locomote by the angler. 

 Sir Humphrey Davy thought "that the rising of Salmon and Sea-trout at these bright flies, 

 as soon as they come from the sea into rivers, depends upon a sort of imperfect memory of 

 their early smolt habits." Perhaps so, but be this as it may, the undoubted fact that the 

 stomach and all intestinal tract are always found empty, it is a convincing proof that the 

 Salmon, as a rule, abstains from food during its sojourn in fresh water.* I have never found 

 anything in the stomach of a river Salmon except some whitish or yellowish mucus, and a 

 lot of tape-worms, whose presence, according to my experience, is almost constant. 



It has been shown by Siebold that sterility often occurs in the Salvionidcc ; that some 

 individuals are not sexually developed, and that such differ from the ordinary fish. According 

 to Siebold this sterile state extends over the whole lifetime of the individual. It appears, 

 however, that this sterility is merely a temporary immaturity, and that a part of the individuals 

 arrive at a full sexual development at a later or much later period than others. Dr. Giinther 

 adds, that " many Salmonoids cease to propagate their species after a certain age, and that all 

 so-called overgrown individuals (that is, specimens much exceeding the usual size of the 

 species,) are barren, though they externally retain the normal specific characters." — (P. 8.) 



Salmon, like the other migratory species generally, cannot be retained in fresh water 

 for any length of time ; they may live for two or three years, but do not thrive, and seem 

 quite unable to accommodate themselves to a permanent abode in fresh water. It would seem, 



* I am speaking specially of fish before spawning ; as kelts they may feed. I have never examined the stomachs 

 of kelts, but I suspect they are in too great a hurry to rush down to the sea — their natural larder — than stop to feed 

 in the river. 



