Essays in Natural History and Agriculture | Page 6

fact that
there are many fish in fine season in those months may be, I think,
accounted for, if we admit that Salmon spawn every other year, which I
have I think shown to be very probable; but what it is that induces those
fish to ascend rivers so many months before the spawning season, I
cannot explain. Probably there may be some quality in the waters of
these rivers, all the year, which is congenial to the habits of the fish,
while the same quality may only be found during part of the year in
others; it is certain that the quality of the waters in rivers generally
varies very much with the season: thus the water of the Ribble, after a
flood in summer, is always of a dark brown colour, being so coloured
by the peat moss over which it passes, while in winter no such tinge
can be observed; and there may be other differences with which we are
unacquainted; however, whether this is the true reason or not, it
certainly cannot be that the fish which spawn in October are impelled
by their desire to propagate their species to ascend the river the January
before; and if this long residence in fresh water were necessary for the
proper development of the ova in one river, we might suppose it would
be necessary in all; yet this is not the case, as the red fish which ascend
the river in November and December have at that time the spawn in
them nearly ready for exclusion.
On one point, about which there is great difference of opinion, viz.
whether the fish which are bred in the river generally resort to it again,
and whether each river has its own variety of fish, I am not a competent
judge, as I am acquainted with too few rivers to pretend to decide. I
may, however, just remark that the Hodder, though it is a much smaller
river than the Ribble, is always much better stocked with Salmon,
Morts, Sprods, Smolts, and Par than is the latter river, which I attribute
to the fact that more fish spawn in the river Hodder, which runs for
many miles through the Forest of Bowland (the property of the Duke of
Buccleuch) and other large estates, and the fish are much better
protected there than in the Ribble, where, with one or two exceptions,

the properties are very much divided, and few people think it worth
their while to trouble themselves on the subject. Dr. Fleming, in his
letter to Mr. Kennedy (Appendix to the first Rep., 1825), seems to
doubt that Salmon enter rivers for any other purpose than of
propagation, but lest I should misrepresent his opinions, I will quote
what he has said on the subject:--"In the evidence taken before the
Select Committee during the last season of Parliament, and appearing
in the report, there are several statements of a somewhat imposing kind,
which, as they appear to me to be erroneous and apt to mislead, I shall
here take the liberty of opposing." He then enumerates several opinions
expressed before the Select Committee, one of which is, that Salmon
enter and leave rivers for other purposes than those connected with
spawning (see the evidence of Messrs. Little, Halliday, and Johnstone).
First, "That they enter rivers to rid themselves of sea lice (Monoculus
piscinus);" secondly, "That they forsake rivers to save themselves from
being exhausted by residence in fresh water, and from having their gills
devoured by a maggot (_Lernaea salmonea_)." The whole history of
the Salmon contradicts this hypothesis. Another of these errors is, that
it is asserted (Rep., 1824, p. 145), "That Salmon always return to the
same river;" this is not probable, when we consider the circumstances
in which they are placed during their residence in the sea. On the first
of these opinions, I am not a competent judge; but I think that the fact
that Salmon enter rivers nine or ten months before they are ready to
spawn, is of itself sufficient to show that there are other reasons for
their entering rivers than those connected with propagation. With
respect to the second, I believe that after Salmon have once entered
rivers, at least when they have ascended into the upper parts of them,
they never offer to descend again until they have spawned. On the third
opinion I would remark, that although I do not think that Salmon
always come to the same river in which they were bred, yet I think they
will do so if they can; and I think that the fact which I have mentioned
of the Hodder, a smaller and a tributary stream to the Ribble,
containing many more Salmon, as well as more Morts and Sprods,
countenances this supposition,