SALMON— ASCENDING RIVEIlS— WElHS. ?3 



intend to construct their nests, may be expected, on being returned into the 

 stream, to ascend it.* 



During their ascent these fish must keep to the middle, or deepest and safest 

 part of a river, where, however, they are constantly pursued by the netter, and 

 this causes them to become shy. They ■will not lie up, but seem more disposed to 

 push on to their breeding-grounds. This question of rapidity of ascent is one by 

 no means settled, while it is of the greatest consequence to the upper riparian 

 proprietors. t Mr. Willis-Bund considers that in the Severn they go up stream 

 very leisurely, as two or three miles an hour ; consequently, in a river having a 

 long course, the weekly close time merely changes the locality where they are 

 captured, for he believes none attain to the upper waters during the netting 

 season. As a corroboration of this, it is observed that, except under exceptional 

 conditions, it is some days after the nets are off rivers before the upper proprietors 

 have much chance of hooking a fish. 



In some places it has been remarked that the male fish appears to ascend more 

 rapidly than the female, and the sexes have even been observed to migrate in 

 distinct companies. J 



In their course up stream it is very remarkable what difficulties they will 

 overcome. § While at impassable cascades they have been observed to die, 

 consequent upon repeated but fruitless exertions in attempting to ascend, a 

 clear jump of six feet being probably as much as a salmon under ordinary 

 conditions could accomplish. 



In the Severn it has been remarked that after the exertion of crossing a weir 

 or ascending a rapid, they take a rest ; for the best draught of these fish are 

 captured above the obstruction in the dead-water. Kelts when obstructed in their 

 course down a river are said to strike up stream ; thus, we are told that at 

 Powick weir, which solely captures ascending fish, kelts are often taken in the 

 spring, and usually when there is a slight fresh in the river. 



For the purpose of assisting salmon to surmount natural or artificial obstructions 

 which hinder or prevent their ascending rivers or attaining to their natural 

 spawning beds, fish-passes, || or fish-ladders, are generally erected, especially where 



* In April, 1886, it was reported to the Severn Fishery Board {Field, April, 1886) " that but little 

 progress has been made in the matter of fixing labels on salmon returned to the river, the labels 

 not having been received until late in January. All the nineteen fish secured for spawning 

 operations had, however, been marked before returning to the river. Several of the marked fish 

 had been recaptured, and in all oases higher up the river. One fish liberated at Worcester was 

 caught two days afterwards at Lincombe, nine miles higher up the river, and had passed over 

 two weirs." 



t Livingston-Stone, speaking of S. quinnat, says that "their rate of progress up the rivers 

 varies between very wide limits. The earliest runs are the longest time on their way up the river. 

 The latest runs make the journey more quickly. The fish seem to regulate their speed according 

 to the forwardness of their eggs." While Professor Benecke {German Fish. Assoc, March, 1886) 

 could not observe in the Kiiddow or Eheda during two years' investigations any law governing 

 the migrations of these fishes. 



± Some fishermen consider that the larger fish head the ascending shoal, because should any 

 such be netted a good haul generally follows ; whereas, if smaller fish are first taken, the mam 

 body seems to have passed. 



Livingstone-Stone remarked that " it frequently happened that a whole run of sahnon for 

 several days will be composed almost entirely of males, the efieot of which, of course, is to leave 

 the females together by themselves, whether they take an active part or not in bringing about the 

 separation. In fact, in hauling a seine frequently in a river for some time, it is generally very 

 noticeable that the sexes alternate in running up the river about the spawning season, a large 

 body of males being foUowed by a large body of females, and these by a run of males agam, and 

 so on through the season." {Bull, U.S. Fish. Comm., 1885, p. 468.) Mr. Willis-Bund has also 

 observed " that the male fish swims up the river more quickly than the female ; at all events, the 

 higher up the river the netting takes place, the greater peroMitage of males to females caught. 

 (Salmon Problems, page 156.) , „« ^^ i i. k ui t. 



§ Fleming asserted that he had known a salmon leap up over a fall of 30 ft., but probably he 

 intended to mean in a succession of jumps from one pool or resting-place to another, Twiss 

 (Travels in Iceland) declared that from personal observation he knew they were able to dart 

 themselves nearly 14 ft. perpendicularly out of the water. Professor Landmark has stated 

 (Nature, August 16th, 1885) that he had witnessed their jumping 16 ft. perpendicularly, but 

 continued, " Such jumps are rare." Scrope, after making a number of observations, came to 

 the conclusion that 6 ft. or 7 ft. came nearer the truth. , , . ... 



II The Commissioners in 1861 reported that "every fact elicited dunng our inquiry bears 



