140 Glimpses of Trout. [Sess. 



devour the spawn of their own species ; still it is true that 

 they do actually devour it in large quantities, and nothing 

 makes a better bait for fishing than preserved roe — though 

 this, of course, is illegal. Many kinds of birds likewise feed 

 upon the spawn of trout. If a farmyard is near a stream, 

 swans, geese, and ducks do incalculable mischief. Wild 

 ducks, coots, water-hens, dabchicks, and water-ousels are all 

 blamed for devouring the spawn of fish. While I have no 

 desire to dogmatise on the subject, I must confess that as to 

 the last-mentioned I feel a little sceptical. With me the 

 water-ousel is a special favourite, and I dislike destroying it 

 even for scientific purposes. Must it be confessed that I 

 have shot a few of them, but I am proud to state that in no 

 case did I find in their maw the spawn of any kind of fish. 

 I do not, however, regard this as conclusive testimony. 



A large quantity of the spawn of early fish is destroyed by 

 later ones disturbing the " redd " in depositing their own ova. 

 The period of incubation of trout spawn is about two 

 months, varying, of course, with the temperature of the water. 

 As soon as the young trout issue from the eggs, they are 

 assailed by numerous enemies. Notably among these may be 

 mentioned kingfishers, herons, ducks, &c. The first-mentioned 

 — the kingfisher — is now so rare in Scotland that it may 

 almost be regarded as superfluous to mention it among the 

 enemies of trout. Still it is a fact that, breeding more than 

 once in a season, and having to cater for their six or seven 

 young in a brood, the number of small trout they destroy is 

 very great. It is extremely interesting to observe this bird 

 in pursuit of its prey. I have often watched them sitting 

 patiently on the branch of a bush or tall weed above a stream, 

 till, sighting a small fish, they would dart like lightning into 

 the water, remaining a second or two below the surface. On 

 reappearing with a fish in their bill, they immediately flew off 

 to feed their young, and it was by marking the direction of 

 their flight that I have frequently discovered their nest. 

 Sometimes they hover in the air like an osprey, until, perceiv- 

 ing a fish, they dart down on their victim. When they secure 

 a small trout, they beat it against a stone to kill it before 

 swallowing it ; and so strongly are they endowed with this 

 instinct, that I have observed, on giving a young one taken 



