182 THE APPETITE OF SALMON 



stomach has emptied itself, generally causing thereby 

 insomnia and stomachic trouble. 



In healthy fresh-run salmon we may assume that 

 the digestive organs, though normal, are merely in- 

 operative. The salmon have ceased to feed, the 

 stomach, etc., becomes empty, and, as a consequence, 

 exhibits a very natural contraction, sufficient to cause 

 a difficulty in receiving food. On this latter and im- 

 portant point many writers seem to agree, while a 

 small minority of fishermen continue to assert that 

 the stomach does receive food, and that the salmon 

 does in reality continue to feed when in fresh 

 water. A feasible suggestion has been advanced by 

 Dr. Barton to account for salmon apparently coming 

 on the feed when in fresh water. He says : " Knowing 

 that the digestive organs are only in abeyance, one 

 can easily understand why a tired and slightly hungry 

 fish will dash at a morsel that simulates some food of 

 its liking." 



The italics are mine. Is there any evidence that a 

 salmon is hungry ? If there is, I imagine the ques- 

 tion would be solved. 



This is an ingenious idea, but it is open to criticism. 

 Salmon continue to feed for many days after they 

 have entered a new pool, and that in most cases long 

 after any physical exhaustion, produced by the effort, 

 would have disappeared. It also appears probable 

 that the digestive organs being simply in abeyance, 

 the food swallowed (and it would be if the entrance 

 and to the stomach were in their normal receptive con- 



