SALMONID.E. 69 



as a simen. In the Severn a salmon which has remained in fresh water during the 

 summer without going to the sea is termed a laurel. After spawning this fish is a 

 helt or slat, hut a male is generally termed a kipper, and a female a shedder or a 

 bag git. In the Ribble, according to Willughby, salmon of the first year are termed 

 smelts, of the second year sprods, of the third year morts, of the fourth year fork-tails, 

 of the fifth year half-fish, of the sixth year salmon. Dr. Davy also observes that 

 mort and sprod are names used in Cumberland indiscriminately to the salmon and 

 salmon-trout. In an old work we are told that in the north of Scotland the fry 

 were termed brood and cocksper. In Ireland, Sampson remarked upon a samlet 

 or jerkin which Tighe terms a ginkin, but the term parr is more frequently 

 employed to the north and gravel-ing to the south. At Kerry a kelt is termed 

 Judy, and Rutty stated that a grilse was known as a grawl. Welsh, cawg, male 

 salmon : cemyw hwyddell, female salmon : spawning, maran, or a salmon on his 

 third return from the sea (Severn). De Zalm, Dutch. Le Salomon, French.* 



Habits. — The salmon, as already observed, is an anadromous fish, which enters 

 rivers mostly for the purpose of depositing its spawn in a locality where its eggs 

 will be hatched and its fry reared, while it has also been surmised that some do 

 so to get rid of the marine pai^asites adhering to them. During the summer 

 months it roams along our coasts in search of food, and may be found 

 close in shore many miles from where any fresh water enters the sea, loitering in 

 estuaries and also at the mouths of rivers at which it purposes ascending. Clean 

 salmon are much earlier in some rivers than in others, as the Thurso in Scotland, 

 which contains them in December and January, as does also the Naver in 

 Sutherlandshire. As a general rule such Scotch rivers as debouch into the 

 German Ocean and Pentland Firth are early rivers, while those emptying them- 

 selves into the Atlantic are late. It has been suggested by Mr. Young that the 

 German Ocean is a cold sea, and the slight difference between its water and 

 those of the rivers, induces salmon to ascend early. Whereas rivers on the west 

 coast mostly descend from snow-fed sources and are consequently cold, much 

 colder than the Atlantic, consequently the salmon wait until the snow-floods have 

 ceased. But the Dee, in Aberdeenshire, also the Spey, are early rivers, although 

 snow-fed at their sources. In Yorkshire their ascent as fresh run fish varies 

 greatly, and is dependent upon the state of the rivers — if either July, August, 

 or September are wet the salmon commence running from the sea — if otherwise, 

 their ascent is delayed until the autumn rains set in (Yorkshire Vertebrata, p. 126). 

 Migrating up rivers commences as the water is fining subsequent to a flood, or on 

 the occurrence of a spate or rise, and the fish passes up with an inflowing tide. 



In their migrations from the sea to their breeding grounds these fish have to 

 overcome any obstructions as weirs, which frequently can only be surmounted 

 during a heavy flood. They are found to be alarmed at tempests or violent noises, 

 on the occurrence of which they may even return towards the ocean, which 

 they will likewise do should very cold or frosty weather set in. If the season, 

 however, is mild and their com\se unimpeded they sport from pool to pool, and 

 thus gradually ascend to the higher reaches of the river. In some streams it 

 appears most probable that the larger fish head the ascending shoal, because 

 fishermen have observed that should any such be netted a large haul generally 

 follows, whereas, if smaller fish are taken the main body seems to have passed. 



During their ascent the fish have mostly to keep to the middle or deepest and 

 Bafest part of a river, where, however, they are constantly pursued by the netter, 

 this onuses them to become shy and they will not lie up, but push on to their 

 breeding grounds. In their course it is very remarkable what difficulties they 

 wi 1 1 ( ivereoiue. Fleming asserted that he had known a salmon leap up over a fall of 

 30 feet, probably he meant in a succession of jumps from one pool to another, a? 

 Erom 8 to 10 feet in perpendicular height is rarely exceeded. At impassable 

 cascades they have been observed to die, consequent upon repeated but fruitless 

 exertions in attempting to ascend. 



* Years ago when I used to fish in the Severn, at or near Shrewsbury, we knew the younger stages 

 of salmon, especially the March, April, and May shoals, formed of the parr as salmon-fry and the 

 autumn aniolt as the samlet. 



