170 THE HAUNTS OF LIFE 



ing-time, often many weeks ahead. While in 

 fresh water they feed very little, if at all. 



They need all their muscular energy, too, 

 for there are many obstacles to be overcome 

 on their way up the rivers, and the salmon gets 

 his name from his power of leaping. They are 

 said to be able to leap up falls as high as 10 

 feet, and their courage and persistence in re- 

 turning again and again to the charge after 

 failure has thus been described: "The lithe 

 body, less silvery than usual, shot out of the 

 water; then followed a plucky rush amid the 

 bubbles ; then in seven cases out of ten the fish 

 was swept back before it had cleared the sec- 

 ond rung of the ladder. It was as exciting as 

 a race-course. The favourite cleared one bar- 

 rier after another, lost energy at the last, and 

 was swept back like a log, while another, with 

 less dash about him, cleared every one, and 

 shot ahead in the swift, smooth, sullen water 

 above the fall. There was pathos in the pas- 

 sivity with which the unsuccessful swimmer 

 let himself be swirled back to the eddies at the 

 foot of the ladder. Like a spent horse, he could 

 no more, but one knew that he was setting 

 his teeth, so to speak, for the next rush." 



Arrived at the spawning-place a gravel bed 



