174 EVIDENCE OF A STRONG NATURE 

 nothing shall survive that is not absolutely 

 fit — ^is not in complete correspondence with 

 its surroundings. Thus, in pure nature we 

 observe that when a creature is in any way 

 sick or disabled, its fellows, instead of tending 

 it as would be the case with humans, mob and 

 drive it away, if they do not actually destroy 

 it. The fact, therefore, of a creature being in 

 trouble is in itself sufficient to incite another 

 with full powers, especially one of predatory 

 habit, to go in pursuit. 



Before leaving this subject I would say, that 

 if evidence of a strong nature were necessary 

 to prove that salmon do not feed in freshwater, 

 it hes in the fact that no salmon (so far as I am 

 aware) has ever been known to take a live bait, 

 a really natural object, and which proves so 

 deadly in the case of other predatory fish — 

 pike, perch, etc. No angler in his senses would 

 dream of live-baiting for salmon. 



I have dwelt at some length on the salmon 

 problem in order to show the psychological 

 aspect of the case ; but to do so, and obtain 

 the strongest evidence, it has been necessary 

 to go practically into angling matters. Such 

 evidence bearing on the behaviour of salmon 

 under certain conditions as I have here sub- 

 mitted, is only within the knowledge of prac- 

 tical anglers, but I have little hesitation in 



