256 THE RIVER-SIDE NATURALIST. 



minute or two a foot or so below the edge of the fall in 

 the same spot, in a trembling motion, when, with a smart 

 twitch of the tail, the rest of the fall is cleared. But only 

 fish who strike the fall straight with the snout are able to 

 remain in the falling mass of water ; if it is struck obliquely, 

 the fish is carried back into the stream below. This, Pro- 

 fessor Landmark believes to be the explanation of salmon 

 passing falls with a clear descent of sixteen feet ; the Pro- 

 fessor thinks that this is the extreme jump of which salmon 

 are capable, and points out that, of course, all have not the 

 power of performing this feat." 



The power of making the spring is centred in the strong 

 muscles which regulate the tail, and this is exerted to the 

 utmost at the moment of the attempt. As late as the year 

 1822 the old myth described by Dray ton, that salmon 

 made the leap by putting their tails into their mouths and 

 using it like a bow, was still believed by some authors. 



Williamson's " The Complete Angler's Vade-Mecum," 

 published in that year, states that he has frequently seen 

 them ascend in this manner about ten or twelve feet, and 

 has read of them leaping much higher. 



If salmon are carefully observed when leaping at a fall, 

 it will be seen that many of those which fail to get over, as 

 they fall back have their bodies curved. This may account 

 for the above strange notion. The fish which get over a 

 high fall either have extra power and have taken the leap 

 perfectly straight, or have been assisted by an unseen ledge 

 in the falling water, by which they are enabled to use a 

 fresh muscular effort. We have often seen salmon shoot 

 up in the middle of a fall after taking the leap of some 

 eight feet or so, and we have also noticed that salmon will 

 jump for a particular rock protruding from the side of a 

 fall with only the smallest quantity of water running over 

 it ; and the moment the fish touched it, with another 

 spring the remainder of the fall was surmounted. 



Salmon grow to a great size. The largest authentically 

 recorded to have been taken in this country weighed 83 Ibs., 

 and was exhibited at Mr. Grove's, fishmonger, in Bond 

 Street, in 1821. 



