74 THE HABITS OF THE SALMON. 



large iron pipe, about nine inches in diameter, run 

 across this cutting for the purpose of taking water 

 from the engine-boiler. When fish were spawning 

 there was always a pair above the pipe, with their 

 tails almost touching it. The pipe was raised above 

 the level of the cutting, the bottom of which, being clay 

 and stones mixed, was so hard that the fish were not 

 able to dig it up. I used to lie down, with nothing 

 but my head exposed, almost touching the water. 

 When the female turned up the soil she put out the 

 spawn, which went round to the back of the pipe, 

 and I had no trouble in seeing how much roe she 

 put out each time. It gradually disappeared behind 

 the pipe, so that before she turned up the soil again 

 it was carried some way down the stream. Year after 

 year fish spawn here. When a fish is newly upon her 

 bed she turns up the soil very often, about once in five 

 minutes, but sometimes oftener ; when she has reached 

 a depth of from six to twelve inches she begins to 

 work up stream, and continues working up until she 

 has finished. If the gravel is easily turned up, she 



