FRIGHTENED AT SHADOWS. 8? 



the foam of the cataract of which they presume him to be 

 in search. 



In the same ratio as white attracts the salmon, red, on 

 the contrary, according to Pontoppidan, is the object of 

 his greatest antipathy ; so that in parts of Norway the 

 fisherman never ventures to follow his vocation, attired 

 either in jacket or cap of that colour. The learned Bishop 

 makes mention, moreover, of an individual who was so 

 deeply impressed with the truth of this assumption, as to 

 remove the red tiles from the roof of his house, and to 

 substitute others in their place, of a more sombre hue ! 



The salmon is believed to be afraid of shadows ; even 

 that of a bird on the wing will send him from the surface. 

 When swimming along the coast of Norway, if he should 

 come to a spot where a lofty mountain casts its shadow over 

 the water, he retreats, we are told, with precipitation ; while, 

 on the contrary, he seeks places where light is spread over 

 the sea, whether coming through the outlet of a fjord, 

 or an opening in the mountain range : facts of which the 

 fisherman does not fail to take advantage, when placing 

 out his nets. 



The speed of the salmon is very considerable. " During 

 the continuance of the westerly or north-westerly storm that 

 drives him into the Randers-fjord " (which lies nearly east 

 and west) so we are told by Faith, who for fourteen years 

 was the proprietor of Frysenvold's salmon fishery, situated on 

 one of its tributaries " he, keeping to the deeps, goes vigor- 

 ously forward, and it takes scarcely four hours for him to 

 make his way from the sea to a certain fishery, a distance 

 of six Danish, or twenty-eight English miles. The speed 

 of the fish is, however, greatly regulated by the wind ; 



