160 THE NEW AKT OF BREEDING FISH. 



or three ounces — that it then migrates to salt water, 

 feeds therein, and in the course of three or four 

 months becomes a grilse or maiden salmon, weigh- 

 ing not unfrequently 81b. (rapidity of growth most 

 marvellous and almost incredible !) — that in this 

 grilse state it returns to its native river, spawns in 

 due season upon its fords, and not long afterwards 

 migrates for the second time to sea — that having 

 fed there for two or three months, it becomes an 

 adult salmon, weighing 12, 14, or 161bs.— that it 

 again returns to its native river, deposits in the 

 spawning beds some 10,000 or 15,000 ova, which 

 are impregnated by the male, and give life, in all 

 probability, to 7,000 or 8,000 salmon — that salmon 

 will migrate and immigrate every year, until they 

 are captured, increasing in size, not in the same ra- 

 tio as in their first years, annually, and breeding 

 annually. I have shown how salmon are to be bred 

 artificially, and I have noted many of their minor 

 and curious habits for the satisfaction of the young 

 naturalist and angler. Nothing remained for me to 

 do but to show how salmon might be best preserved. 

 I was just about to do so, when I received the com- 

 munication, printed Underneath this, from " Salmo" 

 on the very same subject. He has forestalled my 

 suggestions, and so ably shown how salmon are to 

 be increased and preserved, that I deem it for the 

 present totally unnecessary to write a single word 

 more upon the subject. I am not, however, going 

 to close my lessons abruptly. I have something 



