Why do salmon spawn in the shallow gravelly fords at the top and bottom of pools ?

Because they there make a bed by the parent fish working up against the stream, the spawn being deposited in the gravel and covered at the same time. The bed sometimes reaches from twelve feet in length to ten in breadth. The process frequently occupies more than a week; during which the eggs deposited by a single fish sometimes amount to 20,000. This spawning season extends from the end of October to the beginning of February, and, according to very satisfactory evidence, it occurs about the same time throughout all the rivers of the United Kingdom. The eggs of the salmon remain in the gravel for several months, exposed to the influence of running water. In the course of the month of March, and nearly about the same period in all our rivers, the fry are evolved. When newly hatched, they are scarcely an inch in length, of the most delicate structure, and for awhile connected with the egg. Upon leaving the spawning bed, the fry betake themselves to the neighbouring pools, where they speedily increase to two or three inches in length. In April, May, and June, they migrate towards the sea, keeping near the margin, or still water, in the river, and when they reach the estuary, they betake themselves to a deeper and more sheltered course, and escape to the unknown haunts of their race, to return shortly after as grisles, along with the more aged individuals. All these seaward migrations of the parent fish and the fry, are influenced and greatly accelerated by the occurrence of the floods in the rivers.-Quarterly Review.

Why do salmon rise better at the fly when the tide is rising, than when it is falling?

Because the turn of the salt water brings up aquatic insects, and perhaps small fish; and it is supposed that salmon know this, and search for food at a time when it is likely to be found.-Salmonia. ·

Why are certain rivers "fenced," or the fishing of salmon prohibited during some months of the year ? Because the breeding fish and the helpless fry may be preserved and protected.

Why is the par or samlet also called the finger-ling? Because it has large blue or olive bluish marks on the sides, as if they had been made by the impression of the fingers of a hand.

Why do the smallest trouts spawn nearly at the same time with the larger ones?

Because, in the physical constitution of these animals, their production is diminished as their food is small in quantity. The ova of the large and small trouts are of the same size; but in the large trout there are tens of thousands, and in the small one rarely as many as forty.

Trouts vary in size, from the great lake trout, weighing above 60lb. or 70lb. to that of the brook, which is scarcely larger than the finger.

Why are there supposed to be so many varieties of seatrout?

Because fresh-water trout are sometimes carried in floods to the sea, and come back larger and altered in color and form, and are then mistaken for new species; and as each river possesses a variety belonging to it, this, with differences depending upon food and size, will, it is thought, account for the peculiarities of particular fish, without the necessity of supposing them distinct species. The same holds good with regard to salmon.-Salmonia.

THE GRAYLING.

Why was the grayling called by St. Ambrose, "the flower of fishes ?"

Because of its agreeable odour, and brilliant_colours. A fine specimen is thus described :-" The belly is silvery, with yellow; and the pectoral, ventral, and anal fins, are almost gold-coloured; the back gray,

with small black spots; and the black fin beautifully coloured bright purple, with black and blue spots." In flavour, the grayling is "like the most exquisitely tasted of all our fish, the red mullet."

The grayling is supposed to have been introduced by the monks, in the time when England was under the See of Rome, from the rivers that contain it being near the ruins of great monasteries. Thus, the Avon, near Salisbury; the Ure, near Fountain's Abbey; the Wye, near the great abbey of Tintern, &c. There are, however, rivers so situated, wherein the grayling is not found; for instance, in the Stour, at Canterbury.

THE PIKE.

Why is the pike considered one of the most voracious of fishes?

Because it devours not only fish, but also amphibia of all kinds, toads, &c.; many aquatic birds, small quadrupeds, and even crabs.

Stones, weighing 5 oz. and upwards, have sometimes been found in the stomachs of pikes, which must have been swallowed by them whole.

The Zetlandic fishermen assert, that cod-fish swallow stones before a storm, to enable them to rest more securely at the bottom of the sea, during the continuance of the agitated waves.-Fleming.

THE HERRING, BARBEL, ETC.

Why is the herring a most important animal in the northern world?

Because, though attacked by man, and many animals, as the grampus, gulls, &c., it multiplies with astonishing rapidity. Its great and regular migrations, during summer, along the coasts of Europe, particularly the Orcades, Norway, &c. have given employment to many thousand people, from the 12th century. -Blumenbach.

It is, however, asserted, that "we have no satis

factory authority for believing that herrings breed in the northern seas, when they have never yet been observed in the real icy seas; nor have they even formed a fishery on the coast of Greenland and Iceland. When they first appear on the coast of Scotland, it is not in shoals, but in small numbers; and they are then taken with a feather, or fly, and a rod. There is nothing to indicate a migration from the north; on the contrary, there is every reason to believe they breed in our own seas: but, both the time of their breeding, and their visits, are irregular and capricious. Much good money has been sunk by erecting buildings, and establishing fishing stations, which the herrings afterwards abandoned."-Notes in Science, 1828.

Sir Humphry Davy says: "The great supposed migrations of herrings from the poles, to the temperate zone, have appeared to me to be only the approach of successive shoals from deep to shallow water, for the purpose of spawning."-Salmonia.

In a recent paper, in Jameson's Journal, Major W. M. Morrison supports that view of the migration of gregarious fish, which leads to the supposition, that they do not actually travel from north to south; but that, in accordance with climate, successive shoals approach the coasts for the purpose of spawning; and this view he supports by some interesting facts. The nets of Hastings are always cast north and south, in order that they may drift with the ebbing and flowing of the tide, which takes the direction of east and west in that part of the British Channel; and it is curious, that while those fish which are encumbered with roes, are caught in great numbers on the east side of the nets, they are not met with in a greater proportion than one in about one hundred without roes on the west side.

At Cairo, the Arab cooks are said to prepare the herring for the table, in such a manner, as to intoxicate the eaters.

Why should the barbel be eaten with great care? Because its roe is poisonous, and has often given rise to dangerous symptoms when eaten.

Why has a species of chaetodon the upper jaw ending in a tube?

Because it may, through this tube, throw water on the insects upon aquatic plants, so that they may fall and become its prey.

Why is the jaculator fish of Java, so called?

Because it kills insects and other prey, by ejecting, from its tubular mouth, single drops of water. Thus, when it spies a fly sitting on the plants that grow in shallow water, it swims 4, 5, or 6 feet from them, and then takes aim as above, when it rarely fails to strike the fly into the sea, where it soon becomes its prey.

Why is a certain fish of Ceylon called the leaf-moon? Because its outline has the appearance of a broad crescent, in the centre of which, the tail, short and fanshaped, projects like a leaf.

ANGLING.

Why is a river better for fishing, after a flood from rain?

Because it brings the fish up, who know when rain is coming; and likewise brings down food, and makes the fish feed. But when the water is raised by a strong wind, the fish never run, as they are sure to find no increase in the spring-heads, which are their objects in running.-Sir H. Davy.

Why do experienced anglers fish with their face towards the sun?

Because, though inconvenienced by the light, they do not then alarm the fish; whereas, if they fished with their backs to the sun, and it was not very high, their own shadows, and those of their rods, would be thrown upon the water, and the fish would be alarmed whenever a fly was thrown.