SALMONID^. 315 



is probably the correct view^ as it is founded upon actual 

 measurement. Salmon, like swallows, are prone to re- 

 turn to their last year's quarters, but are easily diverted 

 from this purpose, if in the interim any alteration has 

 been made in the mouth of the river they usually fre- 

 quent ; and sometimes they will shy and bolt away at 

 the sight of new edifices, erected too near the shore. 

 Though northern fish, they do not like to bathe in over- 

 cold water ; but whether this be from any susceptibility 

 of their own skins to chiU, or merely a prospective pre- 

 caution, unconsciously adopted for the benefit of an un- 

 born progeny, must of course be conjectural ; the fact 

 itself, however, which is an interesting one, seems well 

 attested. 'There are two rivers in Sutherlandshire,' 

 writes Sir William Jardine, ' the Oikel, rising in a small 

 alpine lake, and the Shin, tributary to Loch Shin, a large 

 and deep lake connected with other deep lochs ; in early 

 spring, most of the salmon turn up the Shin, which is 

 the warmer of the two, while very few prosecute the 

 main current until a later period of the year.' In pre- 

 paring for posterity the male and female appear to be 

 alike, but not equally diUgent ; and the former not unfre- 

 quently, it is said, dies from sheer over-exertion. When- 

 ever this happens, the female goes in quest of another 

 mate, and when she has found him, returns to recom- 

 mence those labours which the demise of her first part- 

 ner had interrupted; they have been watched tracing 

 furrows for the deposition of roe, fuU a foot and a half 

 long : at this great work they toil perseveringly toge- 

 ther, and in their eagerness often move stones of consi- 

 derable size, wearing away both scales and ventral fins to 

 effect the purpose ; when the trench is completed, the fe- 

 male proceeds to deposit her eggs in it, and then both 

 parents once again assist each other, fiUing up the chan- 

 nel by means of their very handy tails. 



The salmon, like many other fish, appears to grow 



p 2 



