32 THE SALMON. 



that questions discussed by Aristotle are unsettled yet ; 

 and the salmon, exciting more curiosity than any other 

 inhabitant of the water, has been more than any other 

 the object of visionary theories, narrow empiricism, 

 stiff assertions, easy credulity, and obstinate unbelief — 

 nay, several questions relating to the salmon have been 

 discussed with as fierce an intolerance, as resolute a 

 contempt for facts and reason, as much heat and as 

 little profit, as if they had been questions in theology. 

 A favourable field for all this was afforded by the natural 

 difficulties in the way of investigation, or at least of 

 ascertainment. The fish can be but obscurely and occa- 

 sionally observed by man during one-half of the year, 

 and during the other is not only invisible as to its 

 habits, but is quite unknown as to its residence — after 

 the salmon has left the rivers, we are ignorant not only 

 of what he is doing, but of where he has gone. Diffi- 

 culties like these are to certain classes of people facfiities. 

 Sciofism plunges in where science is perplexed, and 

 " practical men," with their few half-facts gathered from 

 a merely local experience, are full of that certainty 

 which is exorcised from the inquirer in proportion as 

 he extends and deepens his investigations. The nonsense 

 about the salmon that has been published under the 

 name of natural history, and thrust down the throats 

 of Parliamentary Committees, is, when looked back 

 upon, appalling in amount, variety, and worthlessness. 

 To read some people's deliverances on the subject, they 

 might seem to have collected their materials during a 

 lengthened subaqueous residence, and to have come 

 back speaking with a more than earthly authority. If, 



