THE SALMON FAMILY 49 
by the male, and left buried three to six inches under 
the gravel. 
The process of spawning consists of three different 
actions which are practically continuous. The female 
fish turning on her side, first scoops out with a fanning 
movement of her tail, a hollow, technically known as a 
““redd’’; into this hollow she sheds her eggs. She 
then moves forward, and continuing to throw up gravel 
with the fanning movement of her tail, covers the eggs 
already deposited. In this manner several hundreds of 
eggs are buried over an extensive area. During this 
time the male fish is quite near, and fertilises the 
eggs while they are covered over. This process of 
spawning is generally spread over a period of two or 
three days. 
Not infrequently I have met people who thought 
that the male fish assisted in grubbing up the gravel 
with his snout, and that this habit accounted for the 
hook on his lower jaw; but this is incorrect. The male 
fish takes practically no part in making the redd or in 
burying the eggs. 
Her duties accomplished, the female trout gradually 
drops down into deeper waters, lanky and out of condi- 
tion; but the male, as a rule, stays about for a time on 
the edge of the spawning ground, and descends to the 
deep water later in the year. 
The length of time before the eggs hatch depends 
upon the temperature of the water, but usually the 
ova lie for about three months in the gravel. During 
E 
