196 



SY sooe: and by cboos:. 



Upon approaching the small, almost streamless pool 

 in which the bird had been standing, we found the 

 fish he had dropped — a small lamprey (of which they 

 are extremely fond), which was still alive and, upon 

 approach of this second danger, affixed himself to the 

 rock with his sucker-like mouth, as is their wont. 



The herons no doubt destroy both trout and young 

 salmon, but, after all, the natural enemies of the latter 

 can. do little execution as compared with the ravages 

 of their own species in the kelt state ; and surely the 

 balance of nature may safely be trusted to maintain the 

 supply of salmon as against all legal enemies, provided 

 that man, in the application of artificial drainage to 

 the watersheds, also provides the speedy and uninter- 

 rupted ascent and descent for the fish which his alter- 

 ations necessitate. 



Kelts no doubt are tempted to linger in the river as 

 long as the smolts are descending, running into their 

 jaws, as it were, upon their first journey seawards; at 

 all events the entire disappearance of both is nearly 

 simultaneous, and we have seen, in clear water, an old 

 kelt eat a hearty meal, being so intent the while as 

 to admit of our near approach. 



As the smolts, if unmolested, would in a short space 

 of time so much increase in value, it is not very clear 

 why Nature should countenance, at this early stage, 

 such wholesale destruction, as it would appear that the 

 kelts could be more economically fed and made whole- 

 some in the tideway; but it may be that kelts in their 



