SALMONIDJE. 



55 



August ; somo say that then they dig a hole or grave in a safe place 

 in the gravel, and there place their eggs or spawn, after the melter 

 has done his natural office, and then hide it most cunningly, and cover 

 it over with gravel and stones ; and there leave it to their Creator's 

 protection, who, by a gentle heat which he infuses in that cold element, 

 makes it brood and beget life in the spawn, and to become Samlets 

 early in the next spring following." 



This passage I have quoted because in several respects it approaches 

 very nearly the truth, as it has been proved by the result of a series 

 of well-conducted experiments, to which I shall again allude. 



The true Salmon is caught in the estuaries of our large northern 

 and north-eastern rivers, on his way up to deposit his spawn in the last 

 months of spring and the early part of the summer. It has been 

 observed in Europe, that those rivers which flow from large lakes afford 

 the earliest Salmon, the waters having been purified by deposition in 

 the lakes, while those which are swollen by melting snows arc later in 

 season. 



It is also observed that the northern rivers are the earliest ; and it 

 is stated by Artedi, that in Sweden, Salmon spawn in the middle of 

 the summer. The causes influencing the.se facts are not yet decided 

 nor are they easy of solution, says Sir William Jardine, especially 

 where the time varies much in the neighboring rivers of the same 

 district. 



I am not aware that any difference of this kind has been remarked 

 111 this country ; and the great lack of residents on the remote Salmon 

 rivers who will trouble themselves to observe and record such facts as 

 daily occur under their eyes, renders it very difficult to obtain such 

 information as might assist one in coming to any conclusion. 



So far as I can judge, however, this difference does not occur on this 

 part of this continent at least ; nor do I believe that the Salmon are 

 earlier in their appearance in the St. Lawrence, which flows through 

 the largest chain of fresh-water lakes in the world, than the St. John's, 

 or the Penobscot, which lie farther to the south, and have no lakes of 

 any magnitude on their waters. It must be mentioned, however, here, 

 that all these rivers are equally swollen by melting snows and that, 

 being frozen solidly until late in the spring, the period of their open- 

 ing naturally connects itself with the appearance of the fish. 



