264 NO TRUE SALMON IN COQUET. 



the former as steadily declined, until they finally became 

 totally extinct ; and now such a thing as a salmo salar 

 is never seen in this river above its mouth. If this story 

 is correct, the reason of this seems inexplicable, as the 

 total extinction of the salmon cannot righteously be as- 

 cribed to the increase of the eriox, as in other rivers, 

 such as the Tweed, where this fish abounds, they are not 

 considered inimical to the propagation of the salmon to 

 such a degree as to threaten their extinction, that I am 



the island is comparatively of recent occurrence. Mr. Stoddart regards 

 the eriox to be as voracious and destructive to the salmon-fry as the 

 pike himself, and recommends the destruction of that fish without 

 mercy, at all times and seasons ; although he admits that he never re- 

 mains to spawn on the same grounds as the true salmon, but pushes 

 headlong on towards the sources of the smaller rivulets and feeders, 

 beyond where the salmon ever reaches, and where it is manifest his de- 

 predations will be chiefly committed on the fry of his own species and 

 that of the common trout, unless it is a few chance ones that come in his 

 way on his journeys to and fro over those portions of the main river 

 occupied by the parr of the former fish. I therefore cannot believe 

 that the young of the salmon will suffer more from the predacity of the 

 eriox than that of the common trout, or even it may be his own pro- 

 geny of the previous autumn, which will all be swallowed without 

 much respect to species as they present themselves in the way. Nor 

 do I believe that even the salmon himself will much object to gobble 

 up a few of his own family on occasion. The inference is, then, that 

 the disappearance of the true salmon from Coquet must be due to some- 

 thing else than the multiplication of the eriox. An attempt is now 

 being made to reintroduce the salmon by artificial means. 



As the method of fishing for the eriox is precisely the same as for 

 the salmon, it would be quite superfluous to do any more here than 

 mention that the flies ought to be dressed on small-sized salmon-hooks, 

 and be of a rather more sober and uniform colour than the gaudy lusus 

 naturae used for salmon. 



