801 



tlu' in.-ilos sunicliiiies nttaiii a hrccdiii.ii' stat(.' in the 

 Pnrr stage, Init this is i)rol)al)l\' never tiie case witii 

 tlie t'einaies. The aecounts of tlie spawniiii;' iliil'er sonie- 

 wiiat in certain |iarticiilavs: hnt in ueiieral terms we 

 may say that the eggs are deposited in a iiole on a 

 sandy or gravelly, loose bottom and covered, after ini- 

 ijregiiation. witii sand or gravel. Eaeii female is at- 

 tended 1)V one or more large males and usually by 

 several smaller ones. When she has found a suital»le 



spot in sliallow watei often so shallow that siie can 



only just keep lier body submerged — she turns to right 

 and left and lashes witli her tail — according to others 

 she also roots with the snout — until a hole one or 

 more decimetres deep is formed. She then sheds a 

 portion of her roe and quits the place, the male at 

 once coming up to impregnate the eggs, unless he be 

 engaged for the moment in combat with some rival. 

 Tliese conflicts are sanguinary enough, often one of the 

 antagonists leaves the other to die on the field, or at 

 least tears away great pieces of his flesh. 15ut the 

 female continues to deposit her roe, portion after por- 

 tion, returning from her excursions to the spawning- 

 bed, and lashes up showers of sand, gravel or pebbles, 

 so long as she has a male to hasten to her side when 

 the eggs are laid. Yoing observed Iiow a single fe- 

 male Salmon conducted nine males, which were all 

 taken, one after the other to her spawning-bed ; and 

 when even the last male was caught, she returned 

 witii a large Trout in her train. Among the smaller 

 Trout, several of which usually keep at a respectful 

 distance below the spawning-place, the greater number 

 are most probablj- on the look-out for the eggs that 

 are carried away by the current; but no^v and then a 

 male seizes his opportunity of joining in the spawning, 

 wjien the female Salmon's partner is battling with a 

 rival. In this manner the spawning proceeds, with in- 

 cessant pauses, a fullgrown female taking 3 or 4 days, 

 according to some observers up to 8 or 10 daj's, to 

 empty her ovaries. We have mentioned above the con- 

 dition of the Salmon after the spawning: some die of 

 exhaustion, the greater number repair to some calm 

 haven for rest, afterwards prepared to rove or drift 

 with the current down the path along which they have 

 ascended. When they let themselves drift, the descent 



is made backwards, tail first; and the\- may tiien be 

 speared with a leister, as tliey stand in a race before 

 a stii!R', resting liie caudal fin against the hittei'. 



The eggs are of an orange colour and vary in size 

 according to the dimensions of the motiier fish; when 

 ripe, their diameter is about r> — 7^!^ mm. in the Salmon 

 and Sea Tnmt, 4' ,, — 6 mm. in mature liiver Trout. 

 Their inimber \aries in tlie same manner. In England 

 it is customarx' to I'cckon SOU — 1)00 ova to eacli ])ound 

 in the ii\ing tisii; Imt Day" comimted the luimber of 

 eggs in a female Salmon weighing "JO lbs. at 27,8.tO. 

 According to NoiiiiAcK'' a P>rook Trout 1 lb. in weigiit 

 contains only about 1.50 — 200 eggs. The period of 

 incubation varies greatly, but as a rule depends on the 

 temperature of tlie water, .\ccording to Day" it proved 

 in a constant temperature of 45° Fahr. (+ 7'2° C.) to 

 last !)0 days, in 43° Fain-. (+ 6-1° C.) 101 days, in 

 41° Fain-. (+ .)° C.) 97 days, and in 36° Fahr. (+ 2-2° 

 C.) 1 1 1 (hiv's. By keeping them all the time in a low 

 tem])ei-ature, their liatching lias been delayed until the 

 148th day after impregnation; but if frozen hard, thej' 

 generally die. 



Tiie new-hatched fry are about 1.5 — 18 mm. in 

 lengtli, witii a vitelline sac about half as long hanging 

 from the forepart of the liody, and lie still at tlie 

 bottom, keeping the pectoral fins, however, in continual 

 motion to renew the water in the gills, or flounder to 

 and fro in the water, soon to sink again to their siiclter 

 behind a stone or in some other hiding-place- In about 

 4 — 6 weeks, at a length of 2.5 or 2G mm., the yolk is 

 absorbed, and the fry grow more lively. They now 

 begin to eat, seeking their food chiefly in small crus- 

 taceans (Enfomostraca), but not disdaining otlier small 

 portions of animal food tiiat come in their way. At 

 the age of 2 months Salmon-try are about 32 mm. 

 long, at the age of 4 months on an avei-age 63 mm., 

 and xvhen 6 months old, on an average 95 mm. But 

 the growtli is extremely variable, of whicii we have 

 above adduced evidence. 



The Salmon has always lieen one of the most 

 highly esteemed fishes for table; and to the sportsman 

 the River Trout has given most amusement of all 

 fishes, even if his passion — the enjo3'raent of over- 

 coming a powerful resistance, of mastering a strong. 



" British Satmonidce, p. 78. 



' Handbok i Fiskevdrd och Fiska/i-el, p. 284. 



' 1. c, p. 82. 



