Bigelow's Observations on Salmo Fontinalis. 5l 
ack learning," — théy had only * missed their reckoning.” 
Having reached their beds they lose almost entirely their natural 
cautiousness and shyness, and seem wholly absorbed in the 
object of their visit, endeavoring in turn, to reach a bed, 
which they remain upon till their ova are deposited. 1f 
frightened by a sudden or violent motion of one standing on 
the shore, over them as it were, they reluctantly retire a 
little distance, but almost immediately return. "The males 
follow the females closely at this time. They are, I should 
think about in the proportion. of one male to four or five 
females. I was in the habit of disturbing them daily, from 
sunrise till dark ; and prevented them to a great extent from 
remaining quiet long enough to spawn; so they were com- 
pelled to come up in the night, in order to go through with 
their labor undisturbed. In the females which I took the day 
before they began to spawn at night, I found the membranes 
enclosing the mass of ova, ruptured, and a continuous line of 
single ova extending from the mass, through the passage, and 
Stopping directly within the external organs, which were very 
red and much swollen. The spawning season lasts, I think, 
for two or three weeks ; after which they retire again to the 
deep water, where they can be taken only in the winter, 
through the ice. Generally in spawning-time there is no 
difficulty in taking them with a baited hook; but last season, 
perhaps owing to their being late, and pressed to the perform- 
ance of their functions, they passed all kinds of bait and hook 
untouched. In the winter, the only bait used is the minnow ; 
but in October it is various, as the grasshopper, angle-worm, 
and artificial fly. These are most used; but I found that 
when they passed all these, they would often take readily 
their own spawn, dried a little in the sun. Another means 
of taking them at this time, is by a slip-noose of strong wire 
attached to the end of a short pole. This is passed over the 
tail or head, it matters little which, they are so careless at this 
time, and carried to the centre of the body ; when a strong and 
sudden pull will bring them to the shore. Another mode of 
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