SALMON. 187 



scarcely at all known, nor the extent of its wanderings; so that 

 however numerous if this fish were not accustomed to search 

 out our rivers, we should scarcely be aware of its existence. 

 In the course of many years I have only been informed of a 

 very few instances of the taking of Salmon with a bait in the 

 open sea, and those not many miles from land; in a single 

 instance also I was a witness to the finding of the posterior 

 half of this fish in the stomach of a Skate caught at a considerable 

 distance. But as the Skate does not bite its prey, so as to 

 separate it into portions, my conclusion was that a Shark had 

 first bitten all it could grasp, and the remainder had fallen 

 within reach of the Skate. Beyond these instances I know 

 not of any record of the existence of the Salmon in the deeper 

 water of the ocean, although its haunts must be there when 

 out of sight. Nor do we possess much better evidence of the 

 nature of its food while in the sea, until it approaches within 

 a small distance of the shore; although from its plump and 

 healthy appearance, joined, when in an early stage of its existence, 

 to its rapid growth, this must be procured in abundance; and 

 the armature of the mouth sufficiently shews that it is fitted to 

 seize something of a substantial nature. Dr. Knox has expressed 

 his belief that this food consists principally of the eggs of 

 star-fishes, and others of the class Echinodermata ; but the 

 quantity of this must be too small and precarious for the 

 sustenance of thousands of these fish. Their stomach is often 

 found entirely empty, but young Herrings and Launces have 

 been discovered in it, and the latter in sufficient abundance to 

 shew that it forms a favourite diet. Sir William Jardine says 

 there is no better bait for an old Salmon than a young Samlet; 

 and it would be amusing to suppose that after the Parr had 

 served the purpose of a husband, the next step would be for 

 him to form a meal for his hungry partner. 



But it is to Dr. Cobbold, F.L.S., we owe (in the Journal of 

 the Linna;an Society, vol. vii,) a more particular account of the 

 contents of the stomach and bowels of the Salmon, although 

 indeed these remarks were made on it when taken in fresh 

 water. He says, that in its usual condition the stomach is 

 coated internally with a consistent white mucus of great tenacity. 

 In ten instances only, from February to September, did remnants 

 of fishes occur, and in all these nothing remained but vertebral 



