THE SALMON. 179 



them. The salmon having ascended the streams as 

 far as they are able, and penetrated into rivulets and 

 brooks, where there is hardly water to cover them, 

 begin to deposit their spawn in the early part of Sep- 

 tember, and continue it till the end of October ; those 

 which leave the sea first, being the first to deposit the 

 spawn. The growth of the roes and the milts is 

 attended with a falling off in the flesh, flavour, and 

 general condition of the fish ; and by the time that 

 the eggs in the roe have acquired the size of common 

 duck-shot, the fish ceases to be eatable, or at least 

 to be wholesome. As the period for depositing the 

 eggs approaches, the head of the male salmon under- 

 goes a considerable change. The points of the jaws 

 are elongated and curved, and become of a horny 

 consistency, which is a- preparation of nature for en- 

 abling him to make the nest or bed for the young. 



When the female is ready to deposit the eggs, she 

 becomes the suitor, going in quest of a male, which 

 accompanies her from the deep water, to the shallow 

 or bank that is fitted for their purpose. When she 

 has made her choice, they begin their operations by 

 the male forming a trench, which he does in a hollow 

 of the bank as soon as possible ; and the female assists 

 him, though she takes a comparatively light share of 

 the labour. Those poachers who destroy salmon in 

 close time, are well aware of the p'ower which the 

 female has of attracting the male to the shallows ; 

 accordingly they watch till the two have begun dig- 

 ging; and then, knowing the male by his crooked 

 jaws, they transfix him with a spear. The capture 

 is both wanton and wicked : wanton, because the fish 



