2 BRITISH SPORTING FISHES. 



of the opinion that the chief sense employed was 

 that of smell. This, however, is immaterial, 

 though it is an important fact that the salmon 

 returns to its old haunts. 



This aristocrat of the waters is essentially a 

 sea-fish ; and at whatever season it may enter a 

 river, the act is closely connected with the repro- 

 duction of its kind. Salmon begin to " run " in 

 English rivers from May to December, though 

 the autumn months mark the time of the heaviest 

 migrations. The ascent of the rivers is not rapid. 

 Even if these be bank-full and the usual obstruc- 

 tions passable, the fish do not hurry, but love to 

 examine the ground as they go. 



There is a deafening roar from the water, and 

 the impalpable spray constitutes a constant maze 

 of translucent vapour. Ever and anon a big fish 

 throws its silvery form many feet above the water, 

 endeavouring to clear the obstacle. Many times 

 it is beaten back, but at last gains a ledge, and by 

 a concentrated effort manages to throw itself into 

 the still, deep water beyond. Instead of leaping, 

 the female fish try to run through the foam, and 

 on from stone to stone, until a last leap takes 

 them over. In the absence of salmon-passes, 

 many of the fish are picked from the rocks dead, 

 and the majority of these prove to be males. 

 This preponderance is also noticeable on the 



