180 THE SALMON. 



salmon,, sixteen pounds in weight. An examination 

 of the mouth of this monster,, for so it seemed, in com- 

 parison with those beside it, convinced me that it too 

 had partaken of the feast. It was in the act of swal- 

 lowing, or what was as likely, that of disgorging three 

 entire fry or soil, the latter being a name commonly 

 given to the young of the herring, in many parts of 

 Scotland. Here there was no deception no possi- 

 bility of mistake: the fish in question had evidently 

 mingled with the others of smaller species, for the 

 purpose of feeding upon these infant coasters, and in 

 order, moreover, to gratify this predatory instinct, had 

 approached within a stone's throw of the beach, where, 

 as I have just related, it was taken, to use a worn-out 

 phrase, red-handed, or in the fact. 



With regard to what has subsequently fallen under 

 my observation, confirming the notion here contended 

 for, that salmon, during their marine state of existence, 

 subsist largely upon small fishes and such sorts of food 

 as are more adapted to the structure of their mouths 

 and their powers of aggression than minute insects or 

 ova, I think it unnecessary to enter into close detail, 

 and shall only state, that, while residing at Nairn, I 

 had several opportunities of witnessing proofs of the 

 habits of these fish, while in salt water, similar to the 

 one above enlarged upon. Most of these, however, I 

 am forward to confess, related to the lesser species of 

 the genus salmo, such as sea-trout and finnocks. The 

 latter, for instance, I remember on more occasions 

 than one, to have caught while angling near the en- 

 trance of the river with their mouths and stomachs 

 filled with small herrings, sprats, or sand-eels. They 

 had come up on the tide, as was evident from the num- 

 bers and tenacity of the sea-lice that adhered to them, 



