NATURAL HISTORY OF BRITISH SALMONIDJL. 14S 



whilst in the sea we know little. In his evidence before the 

 Select Committee of the House of Lords in i860, Professor 

 Quekett stated it as his opinion that salmon travel some distance 

 along the coasts, and probably into deep water, in search of the 

 ova of the echinus or sea urchin — a species commonly inhabit- 

 ing a depth of not less than from six to twenty fathoms. Pro- 

 fessor Huxley disagreed with this view as regards the nature of 

 the food, and believed that it consisted chiefly of a numerous 

 class of small creatures — entomostracous Crustacea— found in 

 semi- solid masses upon the surface frequently of deep water — 

 in fact, that the salmon swims m a species of animal soup, in 

 which it has merely to open its mouth and swallow what enters 

 it. Dr. Knox was of opinion that the food consisted of the 

 ova of various kinds of star fish, sea urchins, encrinites, &c., 

 and some of the crab and lobster family, whilst Dr. Fleming 

 and several other naturalists have observed upon the partiality 

 of salmon for the sand eel or sand launce — a fact which is con- 

 firmed by Sir John Richardson, who states that he has himself 

 taken this fish from their stomach. Herrings and many other 

 kinds of fish are also probably laid under contribution. 



But whatever be its food, judging from the perfect arrange- 

 ment of the teeth and the tremendous rate at which it increases 

 in bulk, there can be no doubt that the salmon is a most vora- 

 cious feeder — although the very small amount of food usually 

 found in the stomach has hitherto been a source of difficulty in 

 ascertaining its exact nature. The singularity of this latter cir- 

 cumstance has often been discussed by writers on ichthyology, 

 and it has been suggested, amongst other less probable explana- 

 tions, that the gastric juice of the fish was so powerful as to 

 dissolve almost instantaneously whatever was subjected to its 

 action — another, and I am inclined to think, more correct 

 hypothesis being that the fish ejects its food on finding itself 

 hooked or retted. 



On this subject a writer in 'Once a Week' furnishes evi- 

 dence which seems to be practically conclusive : ' My friend, 

 Mr. Walter Campbell,' he says, ' informed me that he once had 



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