KEILLER'S THEORIES EXAMINED.

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female's tail when on the spawning-bed is partly to lift her ova from the bottom of the river, and to distribute them in the stream, it is principally to raise a cloud of dirt, thereby to blind the small fish lying in wait for them below. Is it not just as possible, on the contrary, that the violent motion of the tail may rather be to facilitate the exit of the roe from her own body—the throes of parturition, in short? And as to the cloud he speaks of, can it really be dense enough to conceal the eggs? If the bottom of the Save was muddy, I could conceive this to be possible; but where only sand and gravel exist, as is the case in that river, I should say decidedly not.

In another place, my friend assumes that the female never spawns on a rocky bed, because she could not there raise up the needful "cloud" to hide her ova whilst they were progressing down the stream. To my mind, the more probable reason for her avoiding rocks is that, in so exposed a situation, her eggs would not find the needful shelter from their enemies. Neither would they be secure from floods, which on ground divested of gravel and small stones would inevitably sweep them bodily away.

But in spite of my friend's philosophy, what pleases me most of all, is the very ingenious reason he assigns for the male salmon being provided in the spawning season with this elongation of the jaws-namely, that he may neither injure his adversary, nor hurt himself in his hostile charges. If such really be the case, Nature, it must be admitted, has been more bountiful to the genus Salmo than to most of her other creatures; for we know of few animals besides (and many in the breeding season are equally pugnacious with the salmon) that are especially equipped at that period with foils of any kind to curb their combative propensities, or who, when deprived of the free use of their teeth, have their head so defended, as to enable them to perform to perfection, and with impunity to themselves, the part of a battering-ram.

Mr. Keiller affirms, it will be noticed, that the hook on the jaws of a twenty-five pounds male salmon, in the breeding season, prevents him from grasping, in front at least, a substance of more than an inch in thickness. He may be right;

but having repeatedly killed salmon in September and October, in Sweden, with baits of so large a size as to have required more than that space for their mere admittance into his mouth, I should imagine my friend has somewhat underrated the expansion of their jaws at that period.

In conclusion, "It is very difficult to divine," as the late Mr. Scrope truly says, in his fascinating work-" Days and Nights of Salmon Fishing," when speaking of the subject in question, what may be the use of this very ugly excrescence." But if Mr. Keiller should have hit the nail on the head-and there are high authorities who say he has done so-the knotty point which has for ages puzzled the naturalists, is finally set at rest.

Twelve or fourteen years ago, it may be proper to add, my friend made many discoveries regarding the artificial impregnation of roe, which I was then desirous of publishing. But as he from time to time put off furnishing me with the needful details and drawings, I have been forestalled by others, and it is now too late to submit them to the public. It is, however, very satisfactory to find that the results of his experiments have been corroborated to the letter by Mr. Scrope, Mr. Shaw Mr. Young, and other naturalists.

His theory also regarding the young fry, their slow growth, the period when they go to the sea, mainly agrees with theirs. They do not leave the eggs," he says, "until April. They remain in the Save during that summer and the following winter, at the expiration of which they are from two to three inches long. The second summer they also stop in the river, during which they double their size-that is, they attain to five or six inches in length. Whether they go to the sea in the autumn, or not until the following spring, is not positively determined; but it is rather believed they depart before the setting in of the winter, for the reason, that in February and March great numbers of fish resembling salmon in miniature, and of a pound or so in weight, are caught in the brackish water at the confluence of the Gotha with the sea, which are supposed to be the fry that left us about three months before. The third autumn they revisit the rapids of the Save in the shape of grilse of several pounds in weight.”

SLOW GROWTH OF THE SALMON.

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Mr. Keiller's conclusions as to the slow growth of the fry are drawn from the following facts. In July-that is, some two months after the eggs are hatched-there are always two distinct families of the salmon fry in the Save: the one about two inches in length, but too small to take either the natural or artificial fly; the other family averaging from four to five inches in length, which take both baits with avidity. There is no intermediate family. The two-inch family can therefore be no other than those recently hatched; the five-inch family the breed of the preceding season.

"In corroboration," says my authority, "I once had occasion to dam up a small portion of a branch of the Save, at Jonserud, the upper end so effectually as altogether to debar communication with the river above-that is, as regarded fish; for the water found access to the pond amongst the stones of which the dam was composed. At the other end indeed, there was so very small an outlet that it was hardly possible, much less probable, for even fry to ascend or descend. These dams were constructed after the salmon had spawned in the autumn, and the space enclosed being full of their roe, the pool, during the succeeding summer, swarmed with fry. Beyond, however, observing that they were of a very diminutive size, and too small to take fly or bait of any kind-in short, that they were of the first family-I paid but little attention to them. But the second summer the pool was full of fish of five or six inches in length, and of that size only; and as they were very eatable fellows, I captured numbers of them. They in every respect resembled the second family common to the Save, but they were a trifle fuller and larger, which I attributed to more sunshine and less snow-water-in short, to a greater degree of warmth. The second winter was unfortunately a severe one, and they all died."

CHAPTER VI.

Fish allied to the Salmon tribe-The Salmon Trout-Abundant in the Autumn-Size-The Grey Trout — Also Common-Swimming habits different from the Salmon or the Salmon Trout-Very tenacious of Life-Flesh considered inferior-Size-The Wenerns-Lax- Different appearance of male and female-Resemblance to the Grey Trout-Very abundant-Spawning SeasonThe Silfver-Lax-Distinguishing features-A splendid Fish in appearance-The Common Trout-Two varieties The Charr-Supposed to be six different species of— The Smelt-Very abundant-Varieties-Size-Disposition-Spawning season-Taken in large quantitiesSir T. M. Wilson's Experiments.

To proceed with the enumeration of the fishes in my vicinity. The Salmon Trout (Salmo Trutta, Linn.) was common with us in the autumn; but as with the S. Salar, was probably only found below the Falls of Trollhättan. This fish in the season is also common in most of the Scandinavian rivers, whether flowing into the Baltic or the North Sea. According to Nilsson, it is an inhabitant of the lakes of the interior; of such, it is to be presumed he means, as have no accessible communication with the ocean. Kröyer informs us it is common in the fjords and rivers of Jutland, though less so than others of the Salmo tribe.

Swedish naturalists give us no information as to the period at which the salmon trout spawns; Kröyer imagines in June and July; but in this matter I consider he is mistaken, not being aware of any species of the genus Salmo spawning until towards the end of the year-none certainly in my neighbourhood, or on the western coast of Sweden. Bloch, who I doubt not is right, assigns October and November as the months in which this fish has its lek.

The salmon trout attains to a considerable size in the northern waters; Kröyer says to twenty pounds.

gives twenty-eight inches as its maximum length.

Faber

The flesh of this fish, which is red, is in high repute for the

THE GREY TROUT.

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table, next perhaps to that of the salmon. Many, indeed, give it the preference, as being more easy of digestion.

The Grey trout; sea trout; bull trout (S. Eriox, Linn.), was common with us in the autumn; but unless identical with the great trout of the Wenern, it was only found, as with the salmon and salmon trout, below the Falls of Trollhättan. Owing to the confusion arising from local names, it is difficult to define the geographical limits of this fish; but it seems common during the season, as well in the rivers that flow into the Cattegat, as into the Baltic, and in those streams that empty themselves into the North Sea.

The salmon trout, as also the salmon, when making their way up a fjord or river, are said to hold to the middle of the stream, and to the deepest water; but the grey trout, on the contrary, is believed to take advantage of slacker water. It is also recorded of this species that they proceed into much shallower water than the salmon trout or the salmon; to such shoals, in fact, as render it difficult for the fishermen, in their flat-bottomed punts, to get up to them. Hence the established fisheries that are most successful with salmon, are not equally fortunate with the grey trout, and vice versâ.

The grey trout is very tenacious of life, and exists for some time after being taken out of its native element. During the winter, we are told, it may be kept for months in a sump, or fish-box; and the fish-dealers believe it can live equally well in fresh as in salt water. It is, moreover, said of this trout, that when put into spirits of wine, it lives longer than most other fish.

There is an old saying among the Danish fishermen, that when the grey trout first enters the fjord from the sea, it is sluggish, and its powers of vision dull. Certain it is, that, as with us in England, it remains for some days in brackish water, before continuing its journey up the river.

The grey trout is reported to be very voracious. Kröyer says he has sometimes found shrimps, more than one species of Goby, and other small fish in its stomach; as also that in want of other sustenance the males at times feed on the roc of the female.

The flesh of this fish is held to be very inferior to that of