SALMON. 11 



him. When the furrow is made, the male and female 

 retire to a little distance, one to the one side and the other 

 to the other side of the furrow : they then throw themselves 

 on their sides, again come together, and rubbing against each 

 other, both shed their spawn into the furrow at the same 

 time. This process is not completed at once ; it requires 

 from eight to twelve days for them to lay all their spawn, 

 and when they have done they betake themselves to the 

 pools to recruit themselves. Three pairs have been seen 

 on the spawning-bed at one time, and were closely watched 

 while making the furrow and laying the spawn."* 



The following extracts are made from a valuable paper 

 by Dr. Knox, published in the Transactions of the Royal 

 Society of Edinburgh. 



" November 2. — Salmon are observed to' be spawning 

 in the various tributary streams of the Tweed which join 

 that river from the north, and a pair are watched. The ova 

 observed to be deposited near the sources of the stream on 

 the 2nd of November, and covered up with gravel in the 

 usual way." 



" February 25, or a hundred and sixteen days after 

 being deposited, the ova, on being dug up, are found to be 

 unchanged. If removed at this time, and preserved in 

 bottles filled with water, the developement of the egg may 

 be hastened almost immediately by being put into warm 

 rooms : it is not necessary to change the water. The fry so 

 hatched, i. e. artificially, cannot be preserved alive in bottles 

 longer than ten days ; they eat nothing during their con- 

 finement." 



" March 23. — The ova now changing ; the outer shell 

 cast ; the fry are lying imbedded in the gravel, as fishes 



* Ellis on the Natural History of the Salmon. 



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