SALMON LEAPS. 223 



of observing this fish attempting to overcome a high 

 natural barrier, and my impression is, that Mr. Y. 

 slightly underrates its maximum power. These falls, at 

 the part where the salmon generally endeavour to 

 ascend, are divided by an intermediate pool or cauldron 

 into two portions, the lower of which appears easily 

 scrambled up when the river is at all swollen, but the 

 upper one is perpendicular and requires to be sprung 

 over at once. Their leap before surmounting this 

 latter obstruction, I am inclined to think, requires to 

 exceed twelve feet. 



In ascending cauld dykes and falls not exceeding four 

 feet in height, salmon, unless under peculiar circum- 

 stances, seldom emerge from the water, but steer their 

 course upward, as if the headlong nature of the current 

 presented little or no resistance. When the overshoot, 

 however, is shallow or broken, and discharges itself into 

 a pool or gully of considerable depth, affording facilities 

 for the fish to take its spring, it generally does so. 



The upper falls at Kilmorack, on the Beauley, are 

 said to be twelve feet in height ; and those of Tummel, 

 eighteen feet. The former, as is well known, are fre- 

 quently surmounted by salmon, and above the latter 

 this fish has been captured oftener than once ; to meet 

 with its fry, in the Spring season, above Loch Tummel, 

 is a matter of common occurrence. 



