70 , THE ZOOLOGIST. 
FISHES. 
Salmon in the Hampshire Avon,—It is well known that this river is 
somewhat celebrated for the breeding of the Salmon in its waters, and 
doubtless many more fish would come up the stream if there were not 
certain obstacles to prevent them. Iam informed that during last season 
no less than sixteen hundred salmon of various weights were taken in 
the so-called “ run” at the mouth of the river, and four or five hundred 
more a few miles further up, besides the numbers that were taken with hook 
and line at Ringwood, and places still farther north. The Avon, like many 
other rivers, has suffered much from continued drought, and for a 
considerable time the lowness of the water was a topic of conversation, but 
with the first heavy rain there was a “flush” of the stream, and the 
Salmon—no doubt kept back by the shallowness—made a rush “ up 
stream” in countless numbers, and the consequence is that at the 
present time (December 8th) the river is literally swarming with them, 
especially about the mills and hatches, where anything like an obstacle 
prevents their ascent, and the fish, in their eagerness to ascend, have 
in several instances thrown themselves out upon the land, or come to 
an untimely end by striking themselves against the obstructions named. 
In one instance a large fish was found dead, having forced itself so tightly 
into an aperture near one of the “ladders” that it was with difficulty 
extricated. Much to my regret, a continued indisposition prevented me 
from seeing the sight; but an old fisherman friend of mine who has known 
the river all his life says he never saw the like before. Previous to this it 
had been remarked how few fish had ascended the river for spawning, and 
possibly their retarded ascent had made them even more eager than usual 
to reach the gravel beds where Nature’s law is fulfilled. Most of the fish, 
if not all of them, at present in the river are of the reddish hue peculiar to 
them at this season, and I believe it is a tint usually assumed by individuals 
whose stay in fresh water is at any time prolonged ; and yet my old friend 
informs me that sometimes a fish, after the spawning season, will get as 
clear in appearance as a “ fresh run” specimen, or, to use his expression, 
“as bright as a shilling,” the truth of which I cannot gainsay. In many 
cases it is somewhat strange that men whose occupation is continually 
upon the river should have such a superficial knowledge of the fishes 
therein, but the above statement was made by a man who certainly knows 
the difference between a “clean” and an “unclean” fish. We are well 
aware that a lengthened stay in fresh water alters the condition and 
appearance of Salmon, but what fish are those which are caught in the 
first few weeks of the season, in February? Are they individuals who had 
previously spawned early and returned to the sea before the main body 
made their ascent? We can scarcely believe that the fishes, now so 
