APPENDIX. 303 



by night particularly if there is a inoon ; otherwise very early 

 in the morning. They seldom move, I believe, in the evening ; 

 but then, when flies are most numerous, look out for food. At 

 length the salmon reaches his destination high up the stream, 

 where he may look out for a mate, and take measures for the 

 important business of propagating his kind. 



When a strong rapid, or even a fall of a few feet, occurs in 

 the course of our adventurous traveller's voyage, the obstacle is 

 surmounted without much difficulty. But when the stream is 

 deep and full and the fall considerable, the impediment becomes 

 a serious matter, and the poor fish stops and is sadly puzzled how 

 to overcome it. He soon begins to reconnoitre his position, 

 exploring in all directions for a passage, and leaping frequently 

 several feet out of the water, apparently with the object of dis- 

 covering the topography of the scene of his difficulties from this 

 elevation. When he finds the obstacle insurmountable, he is 

 obliged to wait till the river falls ; or, in the event of the place 

 being within the range of the salt water, which sometimes hap- 

 pens, until a spring-tide comes to his assistance. 



There are many salmon-leaps in Europe particularly in the 

 British Islands and in Norway. Two of the most remarkable 

 are at Coleraine and Ballyshannon in the north of Ireland. 

 With the latter of these I am very well acquainted. 



The large and very beautiful lake, Loch Erne, fifty miles 

 long by ten or twelve broad, pours its waters into the Atlantic 

 by a short and rapid river, which, after an impetuous course from 

 Belleek, and a last fall of fifteen or sixteen feet at Ballyshannon, 

 meets the tide at the bottom of a perpendicular ledge of limestone 

 rock. En passant I may remark that Sir Humphrey Davy in 

 his " Salmonia " praises the Erne as the best salmon river he ever 

 fished ; and I think very justly. The sea is only three miles 

 distant from the fall ; and in early summer innumerable salmon 

 run up the river and assemble in " the pool," as the abyss below 



