THE SALMON FAMILY 91 



each other, for at the last moment the fish that is only 

 a few inches farther off the food suddenly slips aside 

 and then turns round in his own length, and not infre- 

 quently ends by getting the worm. This is in conse- 

 quence of the fact that when a trout seizes a worm, or 

 other wriggling form of food, he gives it a bite, and 

 then spits it out to swallow it again. The fish that 

 missed the bait is aware of this fact, and suddenly turn- 

 ing round frequently snaps up the worm before the fish 

 that spat it out is able to seize it again. Unless trout 

 are exceedingly hungry, I do not believe they ever 

 swallow a worm until they have killed it. They may 

 bite it and spit it out two or three times successively 

 as already described, or taking it into their mouths 

 they masticate it well for several minutes before they 

 swallow it. 



