178 HABITS OF SPAWNED-SALMON. 



and larger either fish — male or female — is, the 

 greater the quantity of ova to be deposited, and 

 of milt to be emitted. In consequence, the time 

 occupied in deposition chiefly depends upon the 

 size and fecundity of the female fish. The average 

 time is from five to ten days. It would be more 

 correct to say the mean time lies betwixt. 



When the spawning operations — I am describ- 

 ing those of a single pair of salmon — are termi- 

 nated, the female fish, with instinctive view to 

 repose and convalescence, falls back into some 

 pool below the spawning-bed just completed, and 

 sown with salmon-seed. The male frequently 

 follows her example, sometimes from two motives; 

 1st, to consort with another female, if he have any 

 milt remaining, and 2ndly, if he have not, for the 

 purpose of recovering from the debilitating efiects 

 of spawning. A male salmon may impregnate 

 the ova of one or more salmon. A mature male 

 salmon has milt enough to impregnate the ova of 

 several grilse, or young salmon ; and he will con- 

 tinue the operation of impregnation as long as the 

 seminal fluid lasts. If, in the first instance, a 

 female choose a mate unable to fecundate all her 

 ova, she will, when his milt is exhausted, go in 

 search of another, and will be a bigamist or poly- 

 gamist, as long as nature, or (as a phrenologist 



