BRITAINS BEYOND THE SEAS 267 



the river they were born in, and that then they only 

 go back to spawn and die. I have myself seen 

 salmon so thick in a small river in British Columbia, 

 perhaps not more than 18 inches deep, that one 

 could not wade across without touching them at every 

 step. Instinct seems to make them run up the rivers 

 as far as they possibly can. I have even seen one 

 going on when his back fin was out of water and 

 there was no deeper channel ahead. Of course, 

 it is impossible to say whether such fish as that are 

 the same that left the river as smolts. All that is 

 certainly known is that their only instinct seems to 

 be to get as far as possible up the river, to spawn 

 and die. I am, Yours sincerely, 



BRYAN LEIGHTON." 



In that letter there are two astonishing state- 

 ments. They are that Newfoundland salmon spawn 

 in still water, and that fish remain kelts after having 

 been six weeks in salt water. In answer to a note 

 on these points, Sir Bryan Leighton, wrote : 



"PASSING THROUGH NICE, 

 9th March 1906. 



" Dear Hoddy, I did not mean to convey to you 

 in my letter that the salmon actually spawned in the 

 lakes at the head of the Newfoundland rivers. I do 

 not profess to know where they actually carry out 

 the sexual function; but in August and September 

 they congregate in large numbers in these lakes just 

 before the spawning season. In the two instances 

 I know of from personal observation they cannot, 



