THE SALMON FAMILY. £16 



come within their vicinity. The spawning-bed, which may 

 be called a continuation of nests, is never fashioned trans- 

 versely or across the water-current, but straight against it. 



"A Salmon-bed is constructed thus: the fish having paired, 

 chosen their ground for bed-making, and being ready to lay 

 in, they drop down the stream a little, and then returning 

 with velocity towards the spot selected, they dart their heads 

 into the gravel, burrowing with their snouts into it. This 

 burrowing action, assisted by the power of the fins, is per- 

 formed with great force, and the water's current aiding, the 

 upper part or roof of the excavation is removed. The bur- 

 rowing process is continued until a first nest is dug suffi- 

 ciently capacious for a first deposition of ova. Then the 

 female enters this first hollowed link of the bed, and deposits 

 therein a portion of her ova. That done, she retires down 

 stream, and the male instantly takes her place, and pouring, by 

 emission, a certain quantity of milt over the deposited ova, 

 impregnates them. After this the fish commence a second 

 excavation, immediately above the first, and in a straight line 

 with it. In making the excavations they relieve one another. 

 When one fish grows tired of its work it drops down the 

 stream until it is refreshed, and, then, with renovated powers, 

 resumes its labors, relieving at the same time its partner. 

 The partner acts in the same spirit, and so their labor 

 progresses by alternate exertion. The second bed completed, 

 the female enters it as she did the first, again depositing a 

 portion of ova, and drops a little down the stream. The male 

 forthwith enters the excavation, and impregnates the ova in 

 It. The ova in the first part of the bed are covered by the 

 sand and gravel dug from the second being carried into it, 

 chiefly by the action of the current. The excavating process 

 just described is continued until the female has no more ova 

 to deposit. The last deposition of ova is covered in by the 



