222 AMERICAN ANGLER S BOOK, 



for spawning. Those spots are in running waters, where 

 alluvial or other matter brought down by floods cannot well 

 abide. And here let me remark, that Salmon never deposit 

 their ova in the sand or gravel of still, smooth, or deep 

 waters. They never breed in lochs or lakes. Nor, a very 

 curious fact, will they spawn in new gravel, nor in gravel 

 that has been recently disturbed by natural or artificial 

 causes. For instance, a spate or flood shall sweep away a 

 portion of the gravel of a ford, and, for many years, a favorite 

 spawning locality, and by so doing expose a new stratum of 

 gravel. Not only will Salmon spawn no longer there, but 

 they will not even rest in their journeys in water having a 

 bottom recently disturbed. A period of about two years 

 must elapse before they will frequent a pool or stream from 

 which gravel has been removed, or to which gravel has been 

 added. So that an excellent spawning-bed, or a famous pool, 

 may be annihilated by a furious rush of water. 



"Growth of Salmon-Fry. — The ova having been hatched, 

 the embryo Salmon pierces the sandy and gravelly crust of 

 its nest, and almost instanter assumes a shape somewhat like 

 a hairless caterpillar, or fringed larva of about three-quarters 

 of an inch in length, and tapering from head to tail, having a 

 small sac attached to it, near the throat, about the size of, or 

 rather less than, the original ovum, or single pea or spawn. 

 This sac is the remains cf the incubated ovum or egg, and 

 still, no doubt, contains vitelline, or matter equivalent, foi 

 the sustentation of the infant Salmon. In connection with the 

 sac and incipient fish, several conduits, or veins, are visible. 

 The sac remains attached to the imperfectly formed fish for 

 about a month, and is detached or consumed by degrees. 

 The gradual detachment may be observed in a specimen of 

 twelve days old, for at that age it will be seen that the sac 



