84 THE HABITS OF THE SALMON. 



for us, and take up their quarters for the time being 

 where nets cannot reach them. On returning they 

 leave the deep lor the shallower waters along the 

 coast, pick their way to the estuary of their own 

 river, and thus reach their native home. Once only 

 have I met with circumstances that would assist 

 me in identifying salmon seen in any locality along 

 the coast as belonging to any particular river. This 

 was in July, 1887, when on a visit to Burnham in 

 Somersetshire. During my stay there I was 

 surprised to hear of the numbers of salmon that 

 were caught by the nets day after day in the 

 tideway of the Parrett River, and, being interested 

 in all matters connected with our salmon fisheries, 

 on making inquiries I ascertained that salmon were 

 caught in the Parrett from February to August as 

 well as botchers or grilse, during the summer 

 months. I also learnt that there are no spawning 

 grounds in the Parrett, and that the nearest spawn- 

 ing grounds were in the Taw in Devonshire. A 

 few salmon, however, have been occasionally seen 



