WONDERFUL INSTINCT OF SALMON. 173 



river Shin, shortly before the spawning season, 

 and conveyed to the four rivers above-named, 

 amongst which they were distributed in due pro- 

 portions. Mr. Young was the managing director 

 on the occasion. In the wonted season all the fish 

 spawned, each in its respective river. Now, mark 

 one of the consequences : salmon at 23resent, and 

 ever since, come regularly to spawn, traversing the 

 lake to do so, in all these heretofore salmonless 

 rivers. Nay more, the fish hatched in the Terry, 

 at least those that survive long enough, return 

 to the Terry ; and the young of the other three 

 rivers return from the sea to them, each grilse or 

 salmon entering never-failingly the stream that 

 gave it birth. What wonderful and unerring 

 instinct ! One might think that they would re- 

 main in the river Shin, and spawn where their 

 ancestors had spawned ; but no, they leave their 

 own natal shallows, pass down the lake, through 

 the river Shin, along the kyle of Sunderland, to 

 the sea; and there having become adolescent, they 

 retrace their route, and, after necessary rests on 

 their long voyage, very frequently on the spots 

 of their parents' nativity, they revisit, for the 

 first time, the scenes of their birth and infancy. 

 Revisit them — for what ? Being nubile, to perform 

 the nuptial rights, which they do where their 



