The Food of the Salmon. 107 



on the sea in a "boat/' writes Mr. Campbell, " rowing, one 

 bright, calm day, along some rocks near the mouth of a 

 salmon river, when I espied one of the poaching nets used by 



the Highlanders We went towards the net, and in so 



doing started a salmon, which dashed into it. I saw the salmon 

 strike and entangle itself, and in a moment begin to vomit 

 a number of herring-fry. I could see them quite distinctly, 

 for we were exactly over the fish. I pulled up the net as fast 

 as I could, and in a second the salmon was in the boat. So 

 quick was I, that there were upwards of a dozen of the fry 

 still in his mouth, although he had been ejecting a shower of 

 them as I drew him to the surface. Of course there was 

 nothing in his stomach ; but the idea of saying that salmon do 

 not eat is ridiculous. I have myself caught scores with a 

 worm, and thousands are so taken every year, which sufficiently 

 proves that they eat; but when they find themselves fast on a 

 hook or in a net, they disgorge, like the Solan goose, or as the 

 salmon did that I have just described, and thus nothing is 

 found in their stomachs when they are opened.''''* 



Another way of accounting for the absence of food in the 

 salmon's stomach is by its extraordinary digestive properties. 

 " The rapid growth of the fish seems to imply that its digestion 

 must be rapid, and may perhaps account for there never being 

 food in its stomach when found.-'-'t 



Let us examine these various arguments. 



1. The salmon vomits up his food ivhen hooked or netted, 

 consequently he has nothing in his stomach. Granted that he 

 does sometimes, does it follow that he always does so ? Or 

 if he always did so, can he vomit up the indigestible portions 

 from the intestines ? For it must be remembered that the 

 whole intestinal tract in river- salmon, as a rule, never shows 

 evidence of food. But since herrings and other fish are fre- 

 quently found in the stomachs of sea-salmon, it is evident that 

 the vomiting theory must fall to the ground. If they invari- 

 ably eject the food from their stomachs in fresh water, why do 

 they not invariably do so in salt ? 



2. The rapid digestion ivill account for the absence of food 

 in the stomach. But if river-salmon feed, as asserted, there 

 must be times at which the fish is caught immediately after 

 having swallowed some food ; for though the digestion may be 

 rapid, it cannot be instantaneous. Besides, the digestion 

 theory will not account for the absence of all indications of 

 food in the intestine. 



3. The fact that salmon are frequently taken with a worm, 

 minnow, or fly, is a proof that the fish do feed whilst in the 



* " Life in Normandy," pp. 36 and 37. Ed. 1865. 

 f " Harvest of the Sea," p. 192. 



