on tho Restigoucho River. One evening, toward 

 sunset, while sitting in my canoe, I saw a salmon 

 rise and seize a small butterfly which was drift- 

 ing with the current The butterfly had hardly 

 disappeared when I again noticed it on the surface 

 of the river a short distance below. Now if the 

 salmon had desired this insect for food I do not 

 believe he would have permitted it to escape so 

 easily. Another time, when I was reeling in a 



jrr ly y-'Un^ tn.ut whi-h ha-1 risen t< my l.iir 



gray fly, a large salmon rushed fiercely for him, 

 but turned away quite as quickly, showing that 

 his intention was only the chase. 



If salmon feed in fresh water, why should they 

 not weigh as much fifty miles from the mouth of 

 the river as they do at fifteen f They may lose a 

 few pounds in the fatigue of running up to tli 

 homes, but with three or four weeks 9 rest and 

 plenty to eat it seems as though they should re- 

 gain their weight. 



A salmon forty-eight inches in length which I 

 killed at Lazy Began weighed only thirty-six 

 pounds; one of thirty-nine inches weighed only 

 thirty pounds. They were both female fish and 

 looked in good condition. Nearly all that I killed 

 at Lazy Began have weighed much less in propor- 

 tion to their length than those taken in the lower 

 part of the river, which I think again proves 

 that salmon do not feed in fresh water. I have 



88 



