204 WITH GUN AND GUIDE 



salmon is many times swifter in his movements than the 

 leisurely porpoise, and some idea may be obtained of 

 the sight which greeted us. The water was like a boil- 

 ing cauldron splash, splash, splash ! the fish were 

 jumping in every direction. 



It seems that as soon as the female commences the 

 process of depositing the spawn on the gravelly spot, 

 which she and her male partner have scooped out, then 

 a predatory male makes a rush to eat or destroy the 

 precious eggs, while her male gives valiant battle in the 

 effort to protect them. When the male has fertilized 

 the roe eggs by spraying a fluid called the " milt " over 

 them, the seemingly never-ending battle waxes fiercer 

 than ever. 



In this melee we saw some big fish literally skinned 

 alive. On many of them the dorsal fin was either eaten 

 off or torn off, the tail nipped off almost to the bone, 

 and numbers of fish were gashed and eaten so badly 

 in the furious fighting that they gave up the ghost and 

 died. 



In one particular spot eight big fellow r s were all so 

 earnestly fighting that they paid no attention whatever 

 to our boat as it floated down the river, and its prow 

 passed through the fighting mass, separating the com- 

 batants forcibly. Looking back at them after we 

 passed, we saw them at it again. It was a fight to the 

 finish. 



Strangest of all is it that this fighting does not cease 



