THE ARRANGEMENTS OF PROYIDENCE. 153 



beautiful than the male bird, enabling her to 

 convey to her young, lambs, fawns, and hares : 

 as the providing food for them chiefly devolves 

 on the hen bird. For this purpose she is fur- 

 nished with nails, strong claws, and a sharp and 

 hooked bill, that she may the more easily catch 

 her prey. 



I will now mention a fact which I consider an 

 interesting one. You are aware that salmon 

 form a very important article of food, and a 

 very excellent one also. The fish may almost 

 be considered as belonging to the sea, although 

 it is very seldom that one is taken in it. Now, 

 in order to become beneficial to man, it is in- 

 fested with what are called sea-lice, and these 

 insects annoy it so much, that salmon ascend 

 rivers as if they were aware that their tormentors 

 would then drop off, which is always imme- 

 diately the case. The fish are now in their best 

 season, and vast numbers are taken in nets ; 

 and there would be many more if strict regu- 

 lations were enforced to allow them a freer 

 passage, which, it is to be hoped, will now be 

 done. Those which escape the nets ascend to 

 the spawning grounds, and afterwards remain 

 in the river. Here they are again attacked by 



