‘ 
THE SALMON. 171 
and those especially, who, residing on the Susquehanna 
and the southern rivers generally, fancy that they possess 
the salmon, in the glass-eye, or pike-perch, I shall 
proceed to insert a brief description of this beautiful 
glory of the rivers of all northern latitudes, alike on the 
Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and on the northern seas of 
Europe. 
The salmon, fresh run from the sea, on his first 
entrance into the estuaries of the fresh rivers, up which 
he runs to deposit his spawn—of which more anon—is 
perhaps the most perfect in shape of all animals, and the 
most exquisite model of marine architecture in existence. 
The proportions of one in perfect condition, and a 
large fish, are thus given by Sir Humphrey Davy, him- 
self an eminent and eager fly-fisher, as well as a great 
naturalist and philosopher—the length 38} inches—the 
circumference 21 inches, and the weight 22 lbs. 
The head is small and sharpened, the body thence 
increasing gradually to about two-fifths of its length, at 
which point its girth is the greatest, with lines as shapely 
and a curvature as evenly and gracefully swelling as 
those of the entrance of the fleetest ship that ever 
walked the waters. Thence aftward, like the run of the 
same vessel, it tapers far more rapidly and sharply, the 
narrowest point being at four-fifths of its whole length, 
beyond which its broad, flat, deeply forked tail, the 
rudder at once and propeller of this wonderful animated 
rnachine, expands to a width all but equal to that of the 
