SALMON. 5 



interest did the proceeding excite, that for a 

 time the two were left unmolested. The spawn 

 was then taken, hatched on a grill, and large, 

 healthy fry was the result. 



Here the normal life-history of the salmon 

 must be recurred to. After a brief period spent 

 upon the spawning-beds, the breeding-fish return 

 to salt water. At this time they are in a 

 wretchedly poor condition lean and lank, the 

 flesh loose and " flabby." The spawned fish are 

 known as " kelts." Once, however, in the food- 

 abounding sea, they quickly recover condition, 

 feeding now, for the most part, on shrimps. 

 And here, for a time, we may leave them, 

 whilst we return to the river. The eggs are 

 hatched, the fry have absorbed their yolk-sacs, 

 and the tiny things are scattered over the higher 

 river reaches. As the warm days develop the 

 soft-winged ephemerae, the fry begin to forage 

 for themselves, and soon comes a crisis in their 

 life-history. Some day a brown spate comes 

 from the hills, the water is turgid, and in shoals 

 the silvery samlets rush down to the sea to 

 explore its wide world of waters. They usually 

 travel with the first floods of April and May, 

 and having by this time assumed the migratory 

 dress, are termed " smolts." At one time it was 

 supposed that the young of salmon left their 



