SALMON DEPOSITING ITS EGGS. 31 



current, perhaps she uses only sufficient force 

 to hold against the stream. Stones and gravel 

 are easily moved under water, and therefore 

 the exertion necessary to throw up a bed of 

 gravel is not great. To convince myself of 

 this I put some gravel into a trough of water, 

 and holding a dead fish by the head and on its 

 side, I gently undulated it, and I found the 

 stones were puffed away as if by a gentle 

 breeze of wind. I am aware that in all 

 books on the subject it is said the male makes 

 the ridd, but I am convinced there is no 

 truth in this ; the male fish wait on/ and 

 their whole spare time appears to be occupied 

 in ' pitching into ' every other male fish 

 within sight. They rush on, open-mouthed, 

 and generally turn on their side in striking ; 

 and by the time the business is over they are 



