228 HIGHLAND SPORT 



I can yet remember that twice I saw the ice and snow ' bree ' 

 succeeded by mild weather, while during that time many of 

 our young bird friends had not only reached maturity, but had 

 themselves become parents. 



" The next event of any importance in my life was the 

 strange fact that one spring day I began to change colour. 

 The three marks on each of my sides disappeared, and I was 

 soon swimming about in a pretty, bright, silver coat. The same 

 thing happened to the most of my comrades, while all those 

 that had donned this new garb became possessed with a frantic 

 desire to explore the wonders of the waters lower down the 

 river ; so the word was passed round that a down-stream 

 expedition would start on the morrow. 



"Accordingly, on the next day, some thousands of us began 

 to swim with the current. As we did so, we soon perceived 

 that all our enemies were still with us ; in addition there 

 appeared also two new terrors in the shape of tempting worms 

 and tiny flies. Now I had at times, when watching from the 

 depths of the river, seen some of the female Foes shudder, 

 shriek, and turn pale at the sight of a worm, but I can never- 

 theless assert that they are one of the greatest of dainties if 

 they be of the right sort. Many of these worms and flies were, 

 however, possessed of such strength that when we seized them, 

 they retaliated by carrying us ashore. To their fascinations 

 many of my friends fell victims, although I noticed that on all 

 these sad occasions there was invariably a Foe on the bank, 

 until by degrees I learnt to associate their presence with the 

 appearance of these powerful flies and worms, so therefore 

 I and many others, taking counsel together, agreed to look 

 before we leaped, and by so doing I now know for certain 

 that we escaped great danger. 



" One day, together with four close friends, I was resting 

 behind a stone, in a pool above Ballater Bridge, when behold, 

 one of the nicest little worms I had ever seen came rolling 

 round the corner of our shelter. It was quite a new species to 



