A Sportsman 299 



the extensive collection of salmon casts shown at the 

 great fisheries exhibition in London some twenty 

 years ago, which was a marvel of its kind, I observed 

 that the casts of all the large salmon were marked 

 by the distortions of the maxillaries as shown in the 

 fresh- water spawning life, with the lower jaw extended 

 and hooked. 



Among the millions taken of the quinnat, or king 

 salmon, in Oregon, at the Columbia River canning 

 works, an occasional one, but very rarely, has been 

 taken weighing up to one hundred pounds, and one 

 frozen in ice, of eighty-two pounds, was sent on to the 

 Columbian Exposition. As these large salmon are 

 almost invariably males, the question arises if they had 

 experienced the vicissitudes of river and spawning life, 

 and were not survivors by some singular occurrence 

 of incidents, and had missed the usual predestinated 

 fate of salmon. 



The warfare which goes on between the males at 

 the spawning beds, for the favorable consideration 

 and possession of the attractive mistress of the 

 spawning domain, are often severe in results, often 

 causing the death of the defeated. When com- 

 menced between two males, such combat continues 

 until the complete defeat of one, when the conqueror 

 is left in possession, until disputed again by a fresh 

 arrival. As the males seem to predominate over the 

 females, it can be believed that a champion male of 

 good record must have a strenuous experience. In 

 consequence of these conflicts, most of the males show 

 the results, in loss of fins and portions of the tails 

 and other mutilations ; for the muscular powers of the 

 salmon's jaws are great, upon which the fish depends 



