FROZEN FISH. 257 



accordingly find them brown or red, as the case may be. 

 Even in two different branches of the same river, one 

 dark the other clear, we find the trout shaded exactly to 

 suit the water. 



I do not know what the trout and other fish in the 

 lakes get to eat in winter when they are frozen up ; they 

 must, of course, prey upon each other's fry to a con- 

 siderable extent; but all their supply of worms, grubs, 

 flies, insects, &c., is cut off. I have observed that fish 

 in winter always make for an open spot in the ice, 

 probably for the sake of light. They certainly come 

 to the fisherman when he cuts a little hole in the ice. 

 Xear the head waters of Salmon river, a tributary of the 

 St. John, I saw a very odd winter's sight. When cariboo 

 hunting, in mid-winter, I came on a little lake in the 

 woods, in which, whether caused by a hot spring or from 

 some other reason, there was a large circular basin of open 

 water in the centre. On the ice round the edges of this 

 basin, and in it, there were great numbers of dead fish, 

 perch, trout, sunfish, &c., &c., on which owls, foxes, mink, 

 and the ubiquitous meat-bird (Garrulus Canadensis) were 

 living. The latter bird we saw eating fish, the presence 

 of the others we saw by the tracks. The question arose, 

 what had killed all these fish ? As it was near evening 

 we determined to camp on the lake. About sundown I 

 noticed that the waters suddenly became troubled, dozens 

 of little fish sprang out of the water, and some of them 

 fell on the ice, and were immediately frozen stiff. But 

 what caused them to do so? This was soon explained. 

 Presently an otter put up his head in the basin, and I 

 put a bullet through it. On fishing him out I found that 



