THE SALMON FAMILY. 237 



owiiig to its feeding on the eggs of various echinodermata and 

 Crustacea^ Sir Humphrey Davy supposes the Sand Eel to 

 be one of its chief means of subsistence. It is certain, however, 

 that it does not exclude small fish, such as Capelins and Smelt, 

 from its bill of fare. 



Every one who has seen the transverse section of a Salmon, 

 has noted the small cavity in which its stomach, intestines, 

 and vital organs are contained; a fish of twelve pounds 

 frequently having the flesh on the belly at least an inch 

 thick. This with the proportionate smallness of its head, is 

 the cause of its giving more edible substance than any other 

 fish of its size. 



Concerning the remarkable fact that this fish is seldom 

 found with food in its stomach after its appearance in fresh 

 water, Sir Humphrey Davy, who was a close observer of all 

 that pertains to the Salmon, says: "I have opened ten or 

 twelve, and never found anything in their stomachs but tape- 

 worms bred there, and some yellow fluid ; but I believe this 

 is generally owing to their being caught at the time of migra- 

 tion, when they are travelling from the sea upwards, and when 

 they do not willingly load themselves with food. Their 

 digestion seems to be quick, and their habits seem to show, 

 that after having taking a bait on the river, they do not 

 usually offer to take another till the work of digestion is 

 nearly performed ; but when they are taken at sea and in the 

 rivers in winter, food, I am told, is sometimes found in their 

 stomachs. The Sea Trout is a much more voracious fish, and 

 like the Land Trout, is not willingly found with an empty 

 stomach." 



I have reserved i\j remarks on "Salmon-fishing" for a 

 separate chapter. 



