SALMON. 
861 
the males sometimes attain a breeding state in the 
Parr stage, but this is probably never the case with 
the females. The accounts of the spawning differ some- 
what in certain particulars; but in general terms we 
may say that the eggs are deposited in a hole on a 
sandy or gravelly, loose bottom and covered, after im- 
pregnation, with sand or gravel. Each female is at- 
tended by one or more large males and usually by 
several smaller ones. When she has found a suitable 
spot in shallow water — often so shallow that she can 
only just keep her body submerged — she turns to right 
and left and lashes with her tail — - according to others 
she also roots with the snout — until a hole one or 
more decimetres deep is formed. She then sheds a 
portion of her roe and quits the place, the male at 
once coming up to impregnate the eggs, unless he be 
engaged for the moment in combat with some rival. 
These conflicts are sanguinary enough, often one of the 
antagonists leaves the other to die on the field, or at 
least tears away great pieces of his flesh. But the 
female continues to deposit her roe, portion after por- 
tion, returning from her excursions to the spawning- 
bed, and lashes up showers of sand, gravel or pebbles, 
so long as she has a male to hasten to her side when 
the eggs are laid. Young observed how a single fe- 
male Salmon conducted nine males, which were all 
taken, one after the other to her spawning-bed; and 
when even the last male was caught, she returned 
with a large Trout in her train. Among the smaller 
Trout, several of which usually keep at a respectful 
distance below the spawning-place, the greater number 
are most probably on the look-out for the eggs that 
are carried away by the current; but now and then a 
male seizes his opportunity of joining in the spawning, 
when the female Salmon’s partner is battling with a 
rival. In this manner the spawning proceeds, with in- 
cessant pauses, a fullgrown female taking 3 or 4 days, 
according to some observers up to 8 or 10 days, to 
empty her ovaries. We have mentioned above the con- 
dition of the Salmon after the spawning: some die of 
exhaustion, the greater number repair to some calm 
haven for rest, afterwards prepared to rove or drift 
with the current down the path along which they have 
ascended. When they let themselves drift, the descent 
is made backwards, tail first; and they may then be 
speared with a leister, as they stand in a race before 
a stone, resting the caudal fin against the latter. 
The eggs are of an orange colour and vary in size 
according to the dimensions of the mother fish; when 
ripe, their diameter is about 5 — 7V 2 mm. in the Salmon 
and Sea Trout, 4 V 3 — 6 mm. in mature River Trout. 
Their number varies in the same manner. In England 
it is customary to reckon 800 — 900 ova to each pound 
in the living fish; but Day" computed the number of 
eggs in a female Salmon weighing '20 lbs. at 27,850. 
According to Norback * 6 a Brook Trout 1 lb. in weight 
contains only about 150 — 200 eggs. The period of 
incubation varies greatly, but as a rule depends on the 
temperature of the water. According to Day c it proved 
in a constant temperature of 45° Fahr. (+ 7 ‘2° C.) to 
last 90 days, in 43° Fahr. (+ 6'1° C.) 101 days, in 
41° Fahr. (+ 5° C.) 97 days, and in 36° Fahr. (+ 2'2° 
C.) 114 days. By keeping them all the time in alow 
temperature, their hatching has been delayed until the 
148th day after impregnation; but if frozen hard, they 
generally die. 
The new-hatched fry are about 15 — 18 mm. in 
length, with a vitelline sac about half as long hanging 
from the forepart of the body, and lie still at the 
bottom, keeping the pectoral fins, however, in continual 
motion to renew the water in the gills, or flounder to 
and fro in the water, soon to sink again to their shelter 
behind a stone or in some other hiding-place- In about 
4 — 6 weeks, at a length of 25 or 26 mm., the } r olk is 
absorbed, and the fry -grow more lively. They now 
begin to eat, seeking their food chiefly in small crus- 
taceans ( Entomostraca ), but not disdaining other small 
portions of animal food that come in their way. At 
the age of 2 months Salmon-fry are about 32 mm. 
long, at the age of 4 months on an average 63 mm., 
and when 6 months old, on an average 95 mm. But 
the growth is extremely variable, of which we have 
above adduced evidence. 
The Salmon has always been one of the most 
highly esteemed fishes for table; and to the sportsman 
the River Trout has given most amusement of all 
fishes, even if his passion — the enjoyment of over- 
coming a powerful resistance, of mastering a strong, 
° British Salmonida. p. 78. 
6 Handhole i Fiskevdrd och Fiskafvel, p. 284. 
c 1. c., p. 82. 
