THE SALMON FAMILY 49 



by the male, and left buried three to six inches under 

 the gravel. 



The process of spawning consists of three different 

 actions which are practically continuous. The female 

 fish turning on her side, first scoops out with a fanning 

 movement of her tail, a hollow, technically known as a 

 " redd " ; into this hollow she sheds her eggs. She 

 then moves forward, and continuing to throw up gravel 

 with the fanning movement of her tail, covers the eggs 

 already deposited. In this manner several hundreds of 

 eggs are buried over an extensive area. During this 

 time the male fish is quite near, and fertilises the 

 eggs while they are covered over. This process of 

 spawning is generally spread over a period of two or 

 three days. 



Not infrequently I have met people who thought 

 that the male fish assisted in grubbing up the gravel 

 with his snout, and that this habit accounted for the 

 hook on his lower jaw ; but this is incorrect. The male 

 fish takes practically no part in making the redd or in 

 burying the eggs. 



Her duties accomplished, the female trout gradually 

 drops down into deeper waters, lanky and out of condi- 

 tion ; but the male, as a rule, stays about for a time on 

 the edge of the spawning ground, and descends to the 

 deep water later in the year. 



The length of tune before the eggs hatch depends 

 upon the temperature of the water, but usually the 

 ova lie for about three months in the gravel. During 



