THE CANADIAN LAKES AND STEEAMS 



part going eastward toward tlie Strait of Belle Isle, the other 

 moving west up the St. Lawrence, where as soon as the ice and 

 snow is out of the river, or about June 10, they enter and go up 

 the rivers to spawn. They swim about the estuaries a while, as 

 though to become habituated to the fresh water ; then slowly 

 move up, the run ending by July 30. During the beginning of 

 the run, while they are in the ocean, they do not travel at night, 

 lying near the bottom at this time, moving on as the sun rises, 

 and at a rate of not over five miles a day. When they enter the 

 rivers, this is reversed almost entirely. They travel at night, 

 but stiU move slowly. They spawn at the source of rivers, where 

 pure water and gravelly beds can be had, and a good current. 

 When these salmon enter the rivers, they are in the finest con- 

 dition, silvery in appearance and their flesh pink ; but they 

 rapidly deteriorate, and .by October are slate-coloured and thin, 

 the males with hooked jaws. On the Pacific coast, the salmon 

 die. Here they do not, and many pass the winter in the rivers 

 and lakes, and are known as kelts and Hngards (laggards). 

 There is good reason to believe that the great schools live during 

 the winter not far from the entrance of the great river up which 

 they move in the spring. 



The eggs of the salmon are hatched in the spring and the 

 young salmon are known as parr. They remain in the rivers for 

 about two years, going down about the third spring, now known 

 as smolt. The sea paints them a silvery hue, and they become 

 grilse ; and from this stage their development or growth is very 

 rapid, their physical development being often complete in the 

 grilse stage. 



Up to the moment of entering the river, these St. Lawrence 

 salmon eat a variety of fishes, but chiefly capHn ; but when they 

 enter the river, fat, and in good condition, and begin to move 

 toward the spawning ground, they do not eat, but they wiU take 

 a fly or a spoon. Why they take a fly is not known, but it is 

 impossible for an animal to forget the habit of eating so suddenly ; 

 hence, while physically they do not feel the need of food, the habit 



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