72 THE ADVENTURES 



design to give a natural history of the salmon 

 from his birth to the extent of his possible 

 existence. Our only aim in these few pages has 

 been to paint the dangers which surround that 

 existence, more especially in the Eiver Dee, and 

 if possible to excite some degree of interest in 

 the better management and future preservation 

 of that particular river. We prefer, therefore, 

 not dilating longer on the domestic felicity of our 

 particular " Salmo " and his partner, during that 

 period of their sojourn in the Dee which they are 

 to devote to the safe placing of their future 

 numerous progeny. We have simply to remark, 

 for the information of those who may be ignorant 

 of the fact, that the attachment we have supposed 

 to exist between the two fish, is by no means a 

 fabulous invention, Nature has not imposed on 

 them the task of rearing their young ; but she has 

 that of making provision for their future safety 

 I till hatched, and it is a matter of authenticity in 

 I natural history scarcely unfamiliar to any, how 

 | assiduously the male fish attends upon the female 

 ' with whom he is for the time associated in this 

 duty ; how indefatigably he labours with the 

 | horny substance with which Nature has lately 

 provided his jaw in forming a trench in the gravel 

 bed which has at length been selected to receive 

 the spawn, ; how carefully the trench is again 



