I894-] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



93 



angle, raised, lowered, or revolved at will, and when in position secured. To this the 

 lantern is fixed. The lantern is so arranged that, with the same light, it can be instantly 

 changed from the microscope lantern to the ordinary lantern without loss of time. It is 

 the intention of the makers to produce the complete arrangement at a price within the 

 reach of most members of the various societies. 



HERTS NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



At the ordinary meeting of this Society on Tuesday, March 20th, Mr. G. Rooper 

 read a highly interesting paper on " The Salmon and Salmon Fishing." After 

 giving a graphic description of the capture of a twenty-pounder by himself, he 

 entered into details of the life-history of a salmon, and controverted certain state- 

 ments made by Mr. Pennell in the Badminton Library volume on the same subject, 

 one in particular relating to the use of the beak of the " kipper " during the 

 spawning period, Mr. Rooper's opinion being that " nature has provided this 

 singular excrescence as a protection and safeguard against the savage attacks made 



on each other by the kippers As for its alleged use as a digging 



implement, it is nonsense. The substance of the beak is cartilaginous, not horny, 

 and by no means hard. It would be worn down in the process of digging in ten 

 minutes, and, as I said, the female alone prepares the ' redd.' " The duration of the 

 " parr " stage is also a subject of dispute, Mr. Pennell stating it to be two or three, 

 and sometimes four years. Mr. Rooper's opinion is that it occupies one year only. 

 Again the " kelt " is described by Mr. Pennell as " unfit for food, almost poisonous." 

 It would appear from Mr. Rooper's paper that before the passing of the Act to 

 protect them, a good " kelt " was a very acceptable present to a gillie or labourer ; 

 and, in spite of the Act, they are still eaten stealthily by fishermen and anyone who 

 can get possession of them, " The flesh, indeed, is soft and light-coloured, instead 

 of being firm and red, and the flavour is very inferior, but it is not bad eating, and 

 just as wholesome as a clean fish/' Salmon literature contains many statements 

 which must be taken with a very large pinch of salt. It is stated in many books that 

 from the time of entering the fresh water the salmon never eats. Mr. Rooper says : 

 " It is odd, if this is the fact, that there is no more killing bait for a salmon than a 

 gudgeon, a parr, or a dollop of earth worms." Respecting the pace at which the 

 salmon travels up the river, Mr. Rooper states it to be "just one mile an hour, 

 neither more nor less." Referring to the height a fish will leap, " no salmon that 

 ever swam jumped out of the water more than perhaps four feet. The ascent of the 

 rapid — almost perpendicular — streams which the fish surmounts, is effected by the 

 immense power of the tail. Give him but ' back ' water to swim in, the fish would 

 surmount an obstacle of any reasonable height, but this is effected by swimming — 

 not jumping." It is almost needless to add that at the conclusion a very hearty vote 

 of thanks was accorded to Mr. Rooper. 



THE CARLISLE ENTOMOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY 



SOCIETY, 



An ordinary meeting of the Carlisle Entomological and Natural History Society 

 was held on the 22nd March, at Tullie House, Carlisle. The President -(the Rev. 

 H. A. Macpherson) alluded in a most touching manner to the sad loss the society 

 had sustained in the death of Mr. T. Duckworth, the vice-president, and referred to 

 his very genial manner, and his ever willingness to assist in the promotion of the 

 study of Natural History. A vote of condolence was passed to the family sympathizing 

 with them in their bereavement. 



Mr. Wm Blaylock exhibited the nests ot the long-tailed Tit and golden-crested 



