chap, vri.] THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 137 



This Michael Drayton tells you, of this leap or 

 summersault of the Salmon. 



And, next, I shall tell you, that it is observed by 

 Gesner and others, that there is no better Salmon 

 than in England ; and that though some of our 

 northern countries have as fat and as large as the 

 river Thames, yet none are of so excellent a taste. 



And as I have told you that Sir Francis Bacon ob- 

 serves, the age of a Salmon exceeds not ten years, 

 so let me next tell you, that his growth is very 

 sudden : it is said, that after he is got into the sea, 

 he becomes, from a Samlet not so big as a Gud- 

 geon, to be a Salmon, in as short a time as a gos- 

 ling becomes to be a goose. Much of this has been 

 observed by tying a ribbon or some known tape 

 or thread, in the tail of some young Salmons, which 

 have been taken in wears as they have swimmed 

 towards the salt-water, and then by taking a part 

 of them again, with the known mark, at the same 

 place, at their return from the sea, which is usually 

 about six months after ; and the like experiment 

 hath been tried upon young swallows, who have, 

 after six months absence, been observed to return 

 to the same chimney, there to make their nests and 

 habitations for the summer following : which has 

 inclined many to think, that every Salmon usually 

 returns to the same river in which it was bred ; as 

 young pigeons taken out of the same dove-cote, 

 have also been observed to do. 



And you are yet to observe further, that the he- 

 Salmon is usually bigger than the Spawner ; and 



