COLOUR VARIATION 51 



ensued, which at last ended in the release of Mr. 

 Drake from the grasp of Mrs. Fish, and no sooner 

 freed than Mr. Drake flew off in the greatest 

 consternation and affright ; since which time to 

 this day he has not been seen to approach the 

 well, and it is with great difficulty he can be 

 brought within sight of it. This fish lay in a 

 dormant state for five months in the year, during 

 which time she would eat nothing, and was like- 

 wise very shy." 1 



That salmon and some other fish assume in some 

 degree the colour of the channel they lie upon, from 

 whatever cause, is a circumstance pretty generally 

 admitted by those who have paid any attention to 

 the subject ; and this, perhaps, is the reason why 

 fishermen tell you that they can distinguish the 

 salmon of one river from those of another con- 

 tiguous to it. Indeed, I myself could easily 

 distinguish the Isla from the Tay salmon by their 

 colours, when I rented fisheries on both those 

 rivers. This fact I thought so curious, that I had 

 some correspondence with my eminent friend Sir 

 David Brewster on the subject ; and at the Literary 

 and Philosophical Society of St. Andrews, Dr. 

 Gillespie read the following paper, entitled "Re- 

 collections of the Habits, Colours, and Sufferings 

 of Fishes." 



" * My chief experience is with trouts, — such as 

 are found in our mountain lakes and streams ; and 

 it is mainly to these that my few recollections refer. 

 Trouts seem to have a generic type, comprehending 



1 This account seems to have been sent to a Devonshire newspaper 

 by Mr. Dormer himself, or some of his family. 



