AMONG THE BORDER STREAMS 207 



small, the other with a large mesh larger than 

 the diameter of the fish are run out from the 

 bank. The salmon rush against the smaller 

 meshed net, loosely floating below the other, 

 carry it with them through one of the larger 

 meshes, and are caught in a bag. 



Hatcheries have come to the aid of Nature ; 

 but, whether Nature is sufficiently grateful, it were 

 hard to say. For unexplained reasons, some years 

 are more barren ; but, taking one with another, the 

 supply is fairly well maintained. And certainly, 

 the weakness of some streams, notably the Tweed, 

 is not the paucity of salmon. 



After spawning, the exhausted fish drop back 

 into stiller water, where they can remain motion- 

 less; the females to the deeper pools near the 

 mouth of the river, the males to the first pool they 

 come to. There they recruit against the flood, 

 often very long in coming, which will carry them 

 to the sea. 



Meantime, the stream is low, and not over-pure. 

 Moreover, it swarms with the spores of the little 

 fungus, known as Saprolegnia ferax. This pest, 

 because of its economic importance, has been made 

 matter of special inquiry, and its life-history has 

 been worked out in this its chief stronghold. 



