176 SALMON. 



protection of these fish, as much Avith reference to the interest 

 of the fisherman as of the public; for at the time when 

 companies of these fish have met together in the early part of 

 the year, in the manner we have already described, and to 

 which we shall again refer, for the purpose of passing into 

 fresh water, their association appears to be that which may 

 be denominated colonization, which binds them only to the 

 community, and not to individuals; but towards the close of 

 the year their union is moie select and sexual, and, we may 

 add, important; and in forming it it sometimes happens that 

 fierce encounters take place among the males while choosing a 

 partner, in doing which it would appear that a strongly 

 expressed sentiment has had an influence in forming the 

 choice; and in every instance, on the land as in the sea, the 

 rivalry is found among males and not in the females. The 

 anger thus excited has sometimes led to the vengeful destruction 

 of the vanquished, but when the alliance is formed the 

 partners proceed without delay to search out a situation best 

 adapted to the deposit of the precious seed, and the safe 

 rearing of the expected progeny. In such a place the water 

 must flow in a moderate current that is neither shallow nor 

 deep, and it should be as near the fountain-head as is consistent 

 with these conditions, with a bottom of gravel or sand, which 

 must not have been newly laid or lately meddled with. 

 More than one couple may chance to choose the same neigh- 

 bourhood but they keep apart; and the first portion of the 

 work is to form such a channel as shall be of the depth of 

 a foot or more, but the manner of accomplishing this has 

 been represented differently by different observers. In the 

 "History of the Salmon," by Ephemera, it is affirmed that 

 the snout is made to perform an important part in the 

 operation, by ploughing up the ground in order to its 

 removal; but this is discredited by others, and there is no 

 doubt of the office of the tail, which becomes excoriated by 

 sweeping aside the gravel so that the current may remove it 

 out of the way, and again by covering over the deposit. The 

 course of this channel is made directly against the stream, and 

 the work is not accomplished in one effort, but the grains 

 are shed into it at intervals, so as to require several days, or 

 even a fortnight for the completion, the cause of which is 



