CLASS 
V. 
PISCES: 
ORDER 3. TELEOSTEA. 
As we have said, the sea is the home of the sahnon, and the North Athmtic his ordinary 
range, but in spring he enters the estuaines of our rivers, where he gathers in great multitudes, 
and remains for some weeks, ascending and descending with the ebb and flow of the tide. At 
this period they are taken in 
large numbers in our northern 
streams, especially in the Penob- 
scot, and even farther east, and 
being packed in ice are sent to 
various distant markets. In July 
and August on this continent, 
but three months later in Europe, 
they enter the fresh water, and 
begin to make their ascent for 
the purpose of spawning. At this period they are in their highest beauty and perfection. In order 
to insure the hatching of the spawn of this class of fishes, it is necessary that the Avater should 
be aerated, or highly charged Avith oxygen. A powerful instinct teaches them to ascend up 
the rivers where the Avater is broken by currents and rapids, and to Avhich, by mingling Avith 
the atmosphere, purity and vitality have been imparted. Thci-e may be, and doubtless are, 
other objects in the economy of nature to be attained by this Avonderful provision. In these 
remote and solitary places, aAvay from the croAvded thoroughfares of crabs, lobsters, clams, 
oysters, and SAvimming fishes of- every form and hue, all greedy of spoil, their eggs may have 
some chance of remaining to be hatched. Nay, there is even a profounder Avisdom behind this 
instinct of the salmon and its kindred, for by means of it the inland country along the borders 
of the great rivers, and the hiUs and slopes and even the mountains, threaded by a thousand rills, 
far up and away from the salt sea, are provided Avith a never-ceasing supply of the daintiest of 
food for man, bird, and beast, and that AAdthout ploAA'ing or planting. 
To the salmon this instinct is imparted in a degree suited to the energy and daring of its char- 
acter. In seeking to reach the small streams near the sources of rivers, it dashes up sAvift cur- 
rents, shoots over Avaterfalls, leaps dams, and in fact surmounts barriers which might seem im- 
passable. In these efibrts it sometimes makes a clear leap of fourteen feet. If unsuccessful, it 
tries again and again ; one has been known to repeat its leaps for tAventy times, at intervals of 
about two minutes : instances are on record in Avhich these creatures have been dashed on the 
rocks and killed by the cataracts Avhile attempting to scale them. 
When at last arrived at the place of spaAvning, a pair of these fishes are seen to make a furrow 
by Avorking up the gravel Avith their noses, rather against the stream, for a salmon, as Avell as 
every other fish, is incapable of Avorkiug Avith his head down stream, for the Avater thus going to 
his gills the wrong Avay, droAvns him. When the furroAV is made the male and female retire to a 
little distance, one to the one side and the other to the other side of the furrow ; they then throw 
themselves on their sides, again come together, and rubbing against each other, both shed their 
spaAvn into the furrow at the same time. This process is not completed at once ; it requires 
eight to twelve days for them to lay all their spaAvn. When they have done, they betake them- 
selves to the streams and descend to the sea, usually remaining several Aveeks in the brackish 
Avaters, as they did before ascending. 
Such are the general habits of these curious and interesting fishes. Many of them reach the 
lakes AAdaich are the sources of the rivers they ascend, and here some of them remain and breed. 
They pass up the St. Lawrence into Lake Ontario, and even in some instances into Seneca and 
Cayuga Lakes. Similar instances occur in other locahties, as Avell in America as Europe. No 
Avater is too remote for them if there is a stream AAdiich leads to it. At various periods the 
salmon undergoes considerable changes, and names significant of these conditions are applied. 
The young of the first year is called P'mJc, of the second, Smolt, of the second autumn. Pearl or 
Gride. After the spaAvning both male and female are lean, lank, and unfit for food ; at this time 
the former is called a Kipper^ and the latter a Baggit ; both are denominated Kelts. 
It is as a game fish that the salmon has attained that celebrity which ranks it with the Avilcl 
YoL. II.— 59 
THE SALMON. 
