ij2 NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



that they may fometimes breed in rivers alio, for they are found 

 in the midft of Germany, and upper parts of the Rhine, about 

 Bafel; but we are very well allured that the Salmon chiefly ejects 

 its roe at the mouths of rivers, where they empty themfelves into 

 the fea, or a little way beyond, in the fait water, in this manner: 

 Breed. ^gy bend themfelves crooked, in order to ejecl the roe at an aper- 



ture under the belly, and, in the mean time, they ftick their 

 heads down in the fand, that they may have the more ftrength. 

 The male comes prefently after, to keep off other Fifh from de- 

 vouring the roe, and he there bends his head towards the tail 5 and 

 ejects his fperm upon the roe. The Cod, Herring, and other 

 Fifh that have roes, probably breed in the fame manner ; but as 

 that is done in deeper water, it is not fb eafily obferved as in the 

 Salmon. 



The milt, which is alfb called the milt of other Fifhes, is 

 enclofed in a collection of many fmall and fine veficules, out of 

 which that whitilh fluid is fqueezed ; but the male Salmon's 

 milt is in one mafs, and looks like liver. They fay the Salmon 

 is fix years in growing to its full fize, and that he is then five 

 feet long, and weighs from twenty-five to fifty pounds. In the 

 rivers of Mandals and Tannefiord are found the fatteft and beft 

 about the whole Norway coaft, but they are found alfb in the 

 Spring almoft every where. They are in great plenty from the 

 middle of April to the middle of July, at which time they come 

 in fhoals, and feek the rivers, partly to refrefh themfelves in frefh 

 water, and partly to rub, or waih off, in the ftrong currents,, and 

 deep water-falls, a kind of greenifli vermin, called Salmon-lice, 

 that get in between their fins, and plague them in the Spring 

 feafon. 

 Ged's provi- Thefe infe£rs are wifely defigned by the Great Creator, to drive 

 this rich and valuable Fifh, as it were, into the hands of man- 

 The method kind, who ufe feveral arts to catch them. We have, within thefe 

 of catching it.' £ ew y earS:) m thefe parts,, begun to catch them with a kind of large 

 net, fet with many bends and angles ; but this method often mif- 

 carries, though fometimes it fucceeds, and they will take two or 

 three hundred at a time. The old and common way is, to catch 

 them in a net, fpread at the mouth of a river, which falls with a 

 ' ftron^" current into the fea, and is therefore haunted by the Sal- 

 mon for the purpofes above-mentioned. They come thither on 

 feeing the rapidity of the water, and the white foam ; but as 

 thefe opportunities are not every where to be met with, they allure 

 the Fifh by art, and decoy him into their hands, by making a 

 part of the rock white. They fay the Salmon has a great aver- 



fion 



