28 THE SPORTING FISH 



within flood-mark, some of which had two, and 

 others three full-sized lierrings in their stomachs." 



Judging from the perfect arrangement of its 

 teeth and the known habits of its alhed species, 

 there can be no doubt that the Salmon is a 

 voracious feeder, — although the very small amount 

 of food usually found in the stomach has been 

 hitherto a source of difficulty in ascertaining its 

 exact nature. The singularity of this latter cir- 

 cumstance was formerly the subject of an interest- 

 ing correspondence in the " Field," in which it was 

 suggested, amongst other less possible explana- 

 tions, that the gastric juice of the fish was so 

 powerful as to dissolve almost instantaneously what- 

 ever was subjected to its action, — another hypo- 

 thesis (and the more probable) being that the fish 

 ejects its food on finding itself hooked or netted. 



Be this as it may, one point seems certain, viz., 

 that such a marvellously rapid growth as that 

 shown to take place in the Salmon can only be 

 produced by a corresponding supply of nutritious 

 food ; and as regards the travelling or otherwise 

 of the fish in the sea, the thousands of Salmon 

 constantly taken in nets along all parts of our 

 coasts are a clear proof that they do rove, at least 

 to considerable distances, from their native rivers 

 and estuaries. 



During their sojourn in the sea after their first 

 spawning the growth of the Grilse is exceedingly 

 rapid, a considerable proportion at least of such 



