2 THE SPORTING FISH 



hausted salmon rivers, and the increase of a 

 valuable article of the national food-supply. 



I may perhaps be permitted to refer with some 



satisfaction to my own small share in bringing 



about the legislative reforms to which the present 



material prosperity of our fisheries is of course 



c Ct cp|ri c mkf fly ^attributable. It is now some years, since, 



s\ i^\an\ irti-cKe on this subject in the Saturday Review, 



c it was stated, " Mr. Pennell, Mr. Buckland, and a 



few others, have worked hard in the cause of the 



Salmon, in spite of territorial apathy, and if we are 



ever again to have this fish as plentiful as it was 



in the days of the mythical apprentices, it will be 



mainly owing to their exertions." 



The following sketch, which I originally pub- 

 lished in the Times, gives in a summarised form the 

 history of the Salmon as it was then known. It 

 cannot, I think, be said that subsequent experi- 

 ments and investigations have in any material 

 " point added to or taken from it. 



PROVED FACTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE SALMON. 



1. Salmon and Grilse invariably spawn in fresh 

 water if possible, both the eggs, and the young 

 fry whilst in the Parr state, being destroyed by 

 contact with salt water. 



2. The eggs are usually deposited on gravelly 

 shallows, where they hatch in from 80 to 1 40 days, 



