52 The Salmon 



than clean hsh, for no matter how many floods there are the kelts 

 remain in the river until they choose to leave, the greater part of them 

 descending during April, while from 15th April till 15th July fish 

 eagerly push forward, few remaining in tidal water. From 1 5th July fish 

 begin to rest from 6 to 10 miles above tidal water, each succeeding 

 week running more slowly and increasing in numbers in the pools, and 

 as the season advances they begin to rest in the tidal water itself. About 

 the end of September, although they are newly from the salt water 

 and have sea-lice on them, they begin to turn a little red in colour, 

 the spawn increases in size, and they hurry forward with every little 

 freshet. By the end of October they begin to look out for spawning 

 ground, leave the rocky pools, and run up the smaller streams and 

 burns. Although a few begin to spawn in the beginning of November, 

 it is not until the middle of that month that spawning becomes general. 

 During spawning time the female becomes very unshapely and black, 

 and the male red, orange, and black. Their noses become extended, 

 some of them three or four inches ; the lower jaw also lengthens and 

 a large hook is formed at the end of it as thick as a man's finger. This 

 fits into the upper jaw, and sometimes almost penetrates it. This 

 e.xtension of the upper and the lower jaw prevents the mouth from 

 closing, and a large opening is shown at each side of the mouth. It 

 has not yet been ascertained what purpose this knob and extension 

 of the upper jaw serves. Some say it is intended for fighting during 

 the spawning season ; but it must be a poor weapon of defence, as it 

 would prevent the fish's teeth from coming in contact with its foe. 

 Others say the enlargement of the head is for digging up the gravel ; 

 but this is not the case, as the male fish does not dig up the gravel. 

 After spawning time this knob gradually decreases in size, and the 

 extended part has again regained its normal size by the time the fish 

 has returned to salt water. 



There are many different and erroneous opinions as to how fish 

 spawn. Having been brought up on the banks of a river where thousands 

 of fish spawned every year, I had ample opportunity of observing them, 

 and I studied them almost every day each winter for over twenty years. 



