OF A SALMON. 7 



pearanoe ; regular marks of deep violet displayed 

 themselves at intervals along my sides, and the 

 delicate tracery which formed my fins and tail 

 united itself with muscles of powerful proportions. 

 In short, I found myself already of superior grade 

 to the poor sleepy dace, and enjoyed dartihg 

 through rapids which his less vigorous nature 

 would have shunned to encounter. My com- 

 panions were now the wily and audacious trout, 

 (a branch, indeed of our family) and though 

 instinct taught me to shun too near an ap- 

 proximation with those of larger growth, yet 

 our haunts, habits, and pursuits were for the 

 most part identical. 



As the season advanced our food became more 

 plentiful. The water abounded with rich swarms 

 of delicious winged insects which floated down 

 its surface, until, glutted with the large brown 

 May flies that came sailing along, with wings 

 extended to the sunshine, or fluttering just within 

 our reach, fed to satiety with gnat, moth, and 

 beetle, green, brown, red, yellow, and dun 

 that offered themselves for our repast, the sum- 

 mer evening often found us jumping for sport at 

 the little midges that hung in swarms suspended 

 over the surface of some quiet pool, shaded by 

 willows and wild alders. 



It was about this period of my existence that 



