258 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 
to anglers as the “sea-jacket,” 
and shoals of “ smolts,” as 
thev' are called in this stagre, 
begin descending to the sea. 
In about fifteen or eighteen 
months, perhaps in some 
instances longer, they return 
to the inland waters as 
“ grilse ” — small salmon from 
2 to 5 lbs. in weight. Grilse 
and mature salmon spawn 
chiefly in November and 
December, undergoing, before 
they do so, another strange 
metamorphosis. Their brilliant 
silvery scales become darkly discoloured, the males turning copper-colour, the females blackish 
and dull purple ; their elegant form becoming distorted to such a degree as to render them 
hardly recognisable as the same fish which left the tide in the perfection of beauty. In their 
efforts to reach the higher waters where they spawn, salmon display extraordinary perseverance 
and activity in surmounting weirs, waterfalls, and other obstacles which bar their way. After 
spawning, the fish are emaciated and lanky, but speedily regain the bright silver hue so 
characteristic of the species. In this state they are usually known as “kelts”; they are 
worthless either for food or for sport, and make their way back to the sea, where abundant 
provender soon restores their condition. Their chief food consists of herrings, haddocks, and 
other small fishes. Dr. Kingston Barton recently recorded finding five full-grown herrings in 
the stomach of one salmon. Although the excellence of their flesh exposes salmon to the 
attacks of innumerable foes, including man, predacious fishes, seals, and cetaceans, a few survive 
for many years and attain to great size. Fish weighing from 30 to 40 lbs. are far from 
uncommon; one of 60 lbs. has been taken in the Tay with rod and line, and the same river 
has yielded one of upwards of 70 lbs. to the nets. The fine sport afforded to anglers by the 
salmon causes a good beat on a prolific river to be a very valuable property. Two thousand 
pounds was the season’s rent paid a few years ago for less than three miles of the Tweed, 
and the season happened to be such a bad one that the lessee only killed thirteen fish ! 
Closely resembling the true salmon in habits and appearance, and sometimes rivalling 
it even in size, are two kinds of sea-trout — the Salmon-trout, greatly prized both for its 
sporting qualities and for the excellence of its flesh, and the Bull-trout, a very inferior 
fish in both respects. Bull-trout are not infrequently taken in the Tay weighing upwards 
of 40 lbs. 
The Pacific Ocean has its counterpart to the Atlantic salmon and sea-trout in several 
closely allied species, whereof the QuiNNAT and the Steelhead are the most notable. These 
ascend the great rivers of Western North America in prodigious shoals, penetrating more than 
2,000 miles inland to deposit their spawn. Few of these fish survive to return to the 
sea. In their emaciated condition they succumb to exhaustion and starvation ; their corpses, 
piled to the height of several feet, line the banks of the river for miles, and contribute 
nothing to the traveler’s comfort. Although Pacific salmon are of no value to the sportsman, 
as they are said to refuse any bait in fresh-water, yet they are the staple of an important 
trade, tens of thousands of tons being taken and canned for export. 
If we could peer far enough back into the course of time, we should no doubt be able 
to identify a common stock from which all the Salmon Family are descended. That they are 
all natives of fresh-water is proved by the fact that they cannot reproduce their kind in the 
sea. Those that resort to the ocean for food must be the descendants of vigorous, roving 
members of the family, which, having to choose between starvation and migration, braved the 
Photo by A, S, Rudland dr* Sons 
SALMON-TROUT 
KnoTvn a/so as the Sea-trout^ and in Ireland as the White Trout 
