SALMON. 7 
spawn and fry of various fresh-water fishes. In 
the sea its food is more varied and abundant. 
Salmon are invariably found in the proximity of 
shrimp - grounds, and they devour enormous 
quantities of sand-eels. That, however, upon 
which they most depend for sustenance is the 
myriad fry of the coarser sea-fish. Of course, 
it is difficult to follow the fish in its migrations 
in salt water; but, from several sources, hints 
may be had of its wanderings. Salmon seem 
to swim in the sea in comparatively small droves, 
probably of from twenty to a hundred; and it 
is certain that they are much given to hugging 
the coast-line. They stay long on banks or in 
channels, where favourite food is to be had, and 
are only driven off by receding tides. In spring 
and summer they do not inhabit deep water, 
but keep more to the banks, usually in only a 
few fathoms of water. At this time the sand- 
Iaunce is much fed upon, as is the sea-urchin 
in its earlier stages. Mr. Huxley asserts—and 
his assertion stands almost alone —that the 
salmon’s food chiefly consists of a numerous 
class of small creatures (entomostracous crustacea) 
found in semi-solid masses upon the surface of 
deep water; in short, that the salmon swims in 
a species of animal soup, in which it has merely 
to open its mouth and swallow what enters it. 
