496 THE PHILOSOPHY 



that empty themfelves into the ocean *. Salmons are taken in the 

 rivers of Kamtfchatka f, and appear as far north as Greenland, 

 Salmons live both in the ocean and in frefh waters. For the pur- 

 pofe of depofiting their fpawrn, they quit the fea in the nionth of 

 September, and afcend the rivers. So ftrong is the inftinft of mi- 

 grating, that they prefs up the rivers with amazing keennefs, and 

 fcarcely any obftacle is fufficient to interrupt their progrefs. They 

 fpring, with great agility, over cataradts of feveral feet in heighth. 

 In their leaps, they fpring ftraight up with a ftrong tremulous mo- 

 tion, and do not, as has been vulgarly fuppofed, put their tails in 

 their mouths. When they find a place which they think proper 

 for depofiting their eggs, the male and female unite their labours ia 

 forming a convenient receptacle for the fpawn in the fand, which is 

 generally about eighteen inches deep. In this hole the female de- 

 pofits her eggs, and the male his milt, which they aie faid to cover 

 carefully with their tails ; for, after fpawning, their tails are depri- 

 ved of fkin. The eggs, when not difturbed by violent floods, lie 

 buried in the fand till the fpring, and they are hatched about the 

 end of March. The parents, however, after this important office 

 has been performed, haften back to the fea, in order to cleanfe them- 

 felves, and to recover their ftrength. Toward the end of March, 

 the young fry begin to appear, and they gradually increafe in fize 

 till they acquire the length of four or five inches, and are then called 

 fmehs, ox /moults %. About the beginning of May, all the confide- 

 rable rivers of Scotland are full of falmon-fry. After this period, 

 they migrate to the fea. About the middle of June, the earlieft of 

 the fry begin to appear again in the rivers. At that time they are 



from 



* Rondelet. de Fluviat. pag. 167. 

 f Hift. Kamtfchatka, pag. 143. 



% See an Account of the Salmon Fifliery on the River Tweed, communicated to 

 Mr Pennant by Mr Potts, Brit. Zool. vol. 3. pag. 241. 8vo edit. 



