72 The Natural History of the Salmon. 



enemies, or perhaps sometimes to clear themselves 

 of the sea lice, or to free their intestines from worms 

 with which they are often infested." 



MR. MITCHELL. "Salmon have been seen 

 spawning at Sprouston in September, and many 

 spawn in October. Nothing more than surmise can 

 be given why salmon enter the river in the earlier 

 months of the year : it has been attributed to the 

 presence of sea lice, which may partly be the cause, 

 but we see the swallow come before it begins to 

 breed, and remain after such breeding is over. It 

 is instinct in the one case as in the other." 



MR. T. STODDART. " The surmise has no foun- 

 dation, not even a shadow of one. Our salmon are 

 born in our rivers, up to a certain stage nurtured, 

 fed, and trained in them. What is more natural 

 and intelligible than the instinct which impels them 

 to revisit their birthplace, irrespective altogether of 

 sexual inclinations ? The early spring and summer 

 salmon are quite unserviceable as breeding fish. 

 As I said before, a portion of these return to 

 the sea in company with the late kelts ; what 

 remain in the river, present, when caught, a sorry 

 appearance in autumn, and the ova found in them, 

 although considerably distended, have an unhealthy 

 look." 



He says further on : " Spring salmon rarely affect 

 the higher parts of the river, by which I mean the 



