164 The Natural History of the Salmon, 



of rowing and sculling, as it were, with their fins and tail ; and this powerfuf 

 impetus bears them upwards in the air, on the same principle that a few tug5 

 of the oar make a boat shoot outwards after one has ceased to row." — ■ 

 Ephemera says, " the ascending motion is caused by the Salmon striking the 

 water downwards with its pectoral, ventral, and dorsal fins, aided by bodily 

 muscular action." There is no doubt this muscular exertion often gives to 

 the fish, its curvilinear form. 



The Salmon do not breed in lakes, nor ponds, nor any deep or still 

 water. It is only in the shallows, where the waters run clean and swift over 

 gravelly and sandy bottoms, that they deposit their eggs. It is for this that 

 they seek the heads of the streams, shooting up the rapids and leaping the 

 water falls, counting no exertion nor fatigue too great, if they may but safely 

 deposit the hopes of future years where the highly aerated waters rippling 

 over their procreaut cradle, may quicken the embryo Salmon into life. 



In the ascent, the females lead the way. After reaching the river 

 sources, when the water has cooled to about 42 ® Farenheit, they prepare 

 to deposit theh' spawn. By this time the male and female have put on 

 respectively the appearance known as " Red" fish and " Black" fish. The 

 female seek out their mates, and pairing off, they choose a spawning place, 

 from which, if possible, they drive away all other fish. Ephemera, describing 

 the manner in which they deposit their eggs, says, " a Salmon spawning- 

 bed is constructed thus ; — The fish having paired, chosen their spot for bed- 

 making, and being ready to lie-in, they drop down a stream a little, and then 

 rushing back with velocity towards the spot selected, they dart theu' heads 

 into the gi'avel, burrowing with their snouts into it. This burrowing action, 

 assisted with the powers of the fins, is performed with great force, and the 

 water's current aiding, the upper part or roof of the excavation is removed. 

 The burrowing process is continued, until a first nest is dug sufficiently 

 capacious for a first deposition of ova. Then the female enters this first 

 hollowed link of the bed and deposits therein a portion of her ova. That 

 done, she retires down stream and the male instantly takes her place, and 

 pouring, by emission, a certain quantity of milt over the deposited ova, 

 impregnates them. After this, the fish commences a second excavation 

 immediately above the first, and in a straight line with it. In making the 

 excavations they relieve one another. When one fish grows tired of its work 

 it drops down stream until it is refreshed, and then with renovated powers 

 resumes its labors, relieving at the same time its partner. The partner acts 

 in the same spirit, and so their labor progresses by alternate exertion. The 

 second bed completed, the female enters it as she did the first, again depositing 

 a portion of ova, and drops a little downstream. The male forthwith enters 

 the excavation, and impregnates the ova in it. The different nests are not 

 made on the same day, but on different days, progressively. The ova in the 

 first nest are covered with gravel and sand dug from the second, being carried 

 into it chiefly by the action of the current. The excavating process just 

 described is day by day continued until the female has no more ova to deposit. 

 The last deposition of ova is covered in by the action of the fish and water. 



