SALMON OF NOVA SCOTIA—GILPIN. 45 
and again Mr. Wilmot in the Musquodoboit and Bedford, taking 
them in September and October, males more numerous than fe- 
males, and many grilse. In the year 1865, the Sackville River 
was very low from the November droughts, and as many as 
thirty Salmon were seen at flat rock, unable to get up. Then 
we have records of fish going up from every month except De- 
cember, and we must suppose that for various reasons, all the 
Salmon bred in our waters, are, during November, held in our 
lakes ; with the exception of the Smolts going to sea, we have no 
record of Salmon returning to the ocean. I say record, for no 
one seems to have studied our rivers, and it was the common 
belief, even amongst naturalists, that after spawning they return- 
ed immediately to the sea, principally because they came from 
the sea in spring. 
Some ten years ago the Rev. Mr. Williams, stationed at Truro, 
who brought his fondness for fishing from his native Wales,. 
brought to my notice some fish which he caught in the Shuben- 
acadie River, in April. They were descending beneath the loose 
ice in such numbers, and so ravenous, that he took two at a cast, 
and might have filled a boat ina few hours. They were true 
Salmon, but perfectly discoloured, reddish-black, spotted, and no 
silvery scale. On further enquiries, I found that the Musquodo- 
boit River was subject to the same exodus, Mr. C. Anderson 
being my informant, and also those streams flowing from the 
Hants, Horton, and Cornwallis Basins, into the Bay of Fundy, 
through the Avon, were all thus crowd@d during early spring. 
Every spring we hear, especially from the eastern parts of the 
Province, of the wanton destruction of this fish, of their quanti- 
ties, and the easiness of their capture. As we have no other re- 
cord of their descending, we must conclude that as regards our 
own Province, the Salmon ascend our rivers from March to No- 
vember, some remaining all summer, or perhaps returning to 
re-ascend again; though of this we have no proof, that they 
remain all winter and return in vast multitudes to the ocean in 
early spring. That our facts are scanty, must be allowed, the 
ice covering concealing our researches, and that they may not be 
true as regards other countries, is equally conceded, bat until 
further investigation, I think they must be admitted. 
