321 
Doubtless, salmon and sea trout will spawn in salt water at 
times, but should an investigation be instituted such is gener- 
ally found to be consequent upon a want of sufficient water in 
the rivers to enable them to ascend to their spawning beds, 
while they cannot retain their ova for an indefinite period. Mr 
Jacxson* recorded that ‘‘ the salmon-trout cast their ova in the 
salt water at the Southport Aquarium, without assuming the 
appearance of kelts, or even leaving off feeding greedily on 
shrimps. They did not attempt to make a bed, and the spawn 
was immediately eaten by their fellows.” It would seem in 
this case that the fish, aware of the uselessness of forming a 
redd, did not take the trouble to do so. 
About 1862 My Sinciair made some experiments in Ireland 
on the effects of salt water on salmon ova, remarking} upon 
having taken about one hundred eyed salmon ova, of which 
two portions were enclosed in wicker baskets and buried in 
separate streams, one of which was reached every tide by salt 
water, whereas the other was entirely fresh. They were 
examined in about three weeks after one set of spring tides, 
when all which had been reached by salt water were found to 
be dead; not so those in which the stream was entirely fresh 
water. The remaining third were hatched in a wash-hand 
basin, in which was fresh water changed once a day. He sub- 
sequently observed t that since then he had two or three times 
seen salmon redds in the same tidal water, and bad been 
assured by his head water bailiff that he had seen one a quarter 
of a mile lower down, where the gravel was covered over by 
neap tides; also, he had been told that in another river, on a 
particular ford which is affected by spring tides, but only in a 
slight degree, half-a-dozen redds are generally to be found 
every winter. 
Mr J. Jackson, § writing of the Yorkshire Esk, recorded, 
respecting salmon ova, that “it is an interesting question, 
* Land and Water, June 10th, 1876. 
+ “ Field,” Feb. 4th, 1882. 
£“ Field,” March 7th, 1885. 
§ “ Field,” Dec. 20th, 1884. 
