16 SALMON. 



or less, according to the size of the fish and consequent 

 quantity of the eggs. 



During this time, Trout will collect below to devour 

 the spawn that floats down the river ; and numerous 

 Parrs, so called, are always seen about and in the spawn- 

 ing beds, — an explanation of which will be found in the 

 sequel. If a strange male interferes, the original one 

 makes at him, and chases him with great fury, and in 

 these combats they often inflict great injury on each 

 other. John Crerar once had his attention attracted by 

 a great noise of dashing and plunging, at King's Ford 

 in the Tay, and upon looking round he found it was 

 occasioned by the fighting of two Salmon. After a short 

 contest one of them set off; and the water being shallow, 

 Crerar fired at and killed him : he was a male of course, 

 and weighed thirty- two pounds. This occurred in June, 

 1799. 



When the female has done spawning, she sets off, and 

 leaves the place. The male remains waiting for another 

 female ; and if none comes in twenty- four hours, he goes 

 away in search of another spawning place. In the 

 spawning beds on the Tweed, great injury is done Avith 

 the leister, and rake hooks ; and the fishermen, who know 

 how to profit by their cruel slaughter, are in the habit 

 of spearing the male which first 'comes to the female, 

 leaving the latter as a decoy fish, and killing the other 

 males in succession as they arrive to consort with her. 

 By this barbarous and poaching practice all the largest 

 spawning fish are destroyed, to the great destruction of 

 the river. These foul Salmon are bad and unwholesome 

 food, and used to be sold by the fishermen for about 



