104 The Food of the Salmon. 



be interesting. Sept. 6th. I. in transit, 7h. 56m. to lOh. 

 16m., its shadow 8h. 14m. to lOh. 34m. II. ditto, 8h. 26m. 

 to llh. 18m., its shadow 9h. 2m. to llh. 54m. — 13th. I. in 

 transit, 9h. 40m. to 12h., its shadow lOh. 9m. to 12h. 28m. 

 II. ditto, lOh. 43m. to 13h. 35m., its shadow llh. 39m. to 

 I4h. 32m. (These two will be beautiful spectacles.) — 20th. I. 

 in transit, llh. 25m. to 13h. 45m., its shadow enters 12h. 4m. 

 II. enters 13h. 2m. — 22nd. I. leaves disc 8h. 11m., its 

 shadow 8h. 52m. — 29th. I. in transit, 7h. 38m. to 9h. 57m. 

 its shadow 8h. 27m. to lOh. 47m. 



OOOULTATIONS. 



Sept. 7th. B.A.O. 6292, 6 mag. 9h. 49m. to lOh. 22m.— 

 8th. p 2 Sagittarii, 5-£ mag., 9h. 47m. to lOh. 51m. 



THE FOOD OF THE SALMON. 



BY W. HOUGHTON, M.A., F.L.S. 



Diffeebnce of opinion has long prevailed with regard to what 

 constitutes the food of the salmon. As I have lately been 

 examining a large number of the stomachs of this fish, it may- 

 interest the readers of this magazine to hear the conclusion at 

 which I have arrived. But let us first of all see what authors 

 have said on this question. The earliest mention of the food 

 of the salmon with which I am acquainted, occurs in Gesner's 

 work " De Aquatilibus," p. 828. Quoting Hector Boethius, 

 he says, " On what food the salmon lives, or whether it lives 

 on any at all, is as yet a doubtful question, since, when disem- 

 bowelled, the stomach shows nothing but a certain thick fluid.'" 

 Gesner then adds, " I myself also, whenever I have examined 

 a dissected specimen, have never found anything in the stomach 

 and intestines except a yellowish mucus and particles of white 

 grit.* Our fishermen affirm that they never find anything in 

 the stomachs of the largo fish, but only in those of the smaller 

 ones ; for the larger ones which are known by the name of 

 salmon, live on nothing but water, preferring that which is 

 thick and muddy as being more nutritious. But I have heard 

 from an old and experienced fisherman that the fish, until it is 

 a true salmon, feeds on aquatic lice, but that after spawning it 

 will eat any fish that happens to come in its way ; the fisherman 

 said he had frequently found fish in their insides." Shaw 



* "Album lapillum." I suspect he means by these words the masses of 

 calcareous crystals so frequently found in the intestines of salmon. 



