SALMON. 49 
on the west side of the Cascades flowing into the 
Fraser, on the banks of which I was for a long 
time encamped, and up which the salmon come 
in great numbers, | amused myself watching 
this species of salmon (Salmo paucidens) de- 
posit their spawn. It was in August, the water 
clear as crystal, the bottom a fine brown 
gravel. A trench, that looked about three or 
four inches deep and three feet long, was 
muzzled out by the noses of the females. <A 
female fish poised herself over the trench, head 
up-stream, and by a rapid vibration of her 
fins kept herself nearly still; this lasted about 
a minute and a half or two minutes, during 
which time a quantity of ova were deposited. 
She then darted off like an arrow; four males 
at once took her place over the spawn-bed, and 
remained, just as the female had done, about 
two minutes. On their leaving two females 
came, and were followed by the males, as before. 
The water was about four feet deep. I am 
quite sure, from often watching these streams, 
that one spawning-bed is used by a great many 
males and females: it was both curious and in- 
teresting to watch the extreme regularity with 
which the sexes succeeded each other. 
The question as to what becomes of the young 
VOL. I. E 
