SEA LIFE OF A SALMON. 71 



water, they again turned their heads towards the 

 sea." 



Arrived at the ocean, they find that the Power which 

 .led them thither has made a bounteous provision for 

 their wants in the eggs of various species of echinoder- 

 mata, together with the smaller Crustacea. Eeturning 

 to the river in six or eight weeks, their increase in size 

 is proved to be astonishing. To Dr Esdaile we are 

 indebted for the following interesting memorandum, 

 demonstrating this in the most satisfactory manner : 



" No. 1 is a young salmon, 15 months old, from the 

 artificial breeding-beds and rearing-pond at Stormont- 

 field, killed 29th May 1855 ; length, 5 inches ; circum- 

 ference over dorsal fin, 2 inches ; weight, J an ounce. 

 No. 2 is a fish of the same age, dismissed from the 

 rearing-pond on the same day, after having the dead 

 fin cut off. It was taken by the net three miles below 

 Perth on the 19th July, having been absent 51 days: 

 length, 24| inches ; circumference over dorsal fin, 12^ 

 inches; weight, 5J Ib." 



Next season this weight will be doubled ; but, being 

 ignorant of the extreme limits of the natural life of the 

 salmon, we know not how long this increase may con- 

 tinue. 



Salmon, however, have their troubles, and while 

 revelling in the abundance of their sea-quarters make 

 dainty fare to the nimble porpoise and the voracious 

 seal. While dwelling in the sea they are also exposed 

 to the minor misery of attacks by the parasitic insect 

 popularly known as the sea-louse. They thus find that 

 getting fat is not a sufficient compensation for being 

 daily frightened and tormented ; and, we presume, this 

 sad experience helps their instinctive impulse to return 

 to their native river. Their invariable return to their 

 native streams is abundantly authenticated ; the fish of 

 each river have also such distinguishing characteristics 

 that experienced observers will at once say, for example, 

 " That is a Tay fish, while this is from the Isla. " A 



