122 



PISHES AND FISHING. 



could not provide a remedy if the male fishes were 

 taken away by poachers, therefore it must be reflec 

 tive reason that dictated her visits to the pool, and 

 induced her, on finding no more salmon, to select a 

 fish of the same genus and sex, to complete the 

 impregnation of the ova. 



Dr. Pallas, who devoted seven years to travelling 

 and investigating the natural history and actual 

 state of Russian Tartary and Siberia, by command of 

 the Empress, states, that during the floods in the river 

 Volga, the rats, which are numerous on the banks of 

 that river, ascend the small trees for safety ; the bel- 

 jugas (a species of sturgeon) shakes these trees so 

 violently with his tail, that the rats in consequence 

 fall into the water, and are devoured alive by the 

 fish, who adopts the same methods to obtain the 

 unfledged crows. Must this not be considered as 

 reasoning upon causes and effects ? There are the 

 rats or- young crows in the tree, the fish cannot get 

 up to them, but he calculates if he shake the tree, 

 the rats or birds will fall into the water, and he 

 will then obtain them. This is not mere instinct ! 

 Dr. Pallas also says, that the shad will tear a net to 

 rescue other fishes when they are caught ! 



See the anecdote relative to the minnow and tench, 

 p. 199; there appears something very much like 

 reason in the action of the minnow j and it is a well 



