The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-29

rive Ti-,o- nhe wee H1aas I, priasasua nash
Tiuse she. Get . sew psnte,
am tho interest OF amateur science said
Lonmore s. Burt OF Montreal, II once inter
fered cruelty with some most interesting pisca-
torial domestic economy In a stream on tho
estate of an English gentleman, where / wns
oversoer of the game and fish preserves, and by
q series Of tragic experiments Learned that tho
male salmon will instantly abandon his homo IL
he Is bereft Of his mate during spawning time,
whilo IL the male lie removed his mato will loso
no time in finding another husband TO take his
place, and will return at onco to tho nest.
There was q fine stretch Of salmon river on
the estate, and one season when the salmon be-
gan coming in to spawn / discovered one partic.
ularly fine pair that had chosen as their home q
shallow place beneath an old stone bridge, where
tho river was very clear, with a bright gravolly
bottom. As tho spot was so located that 1 could
watch the proceedings Of the pair without their
being aware Of my presence. l did so. The fc.
malo scoopcd out a big, shallow place in the
gravel with hor nose. and In tho excavation laid
her eggs. All this time she was closely attend
cd by her mate, who guarded hor from a host of
enemies. providing enemies that were eager to
despoil her of her spawn. The male salmon
seemed to be proud Of his task. He would rise
gracefully In the water and then settle gently
back near his mate, FIRST on one side of hor and
then on tho other. After zach of these evolutions
he would pass entirely around the nest, descr,h,
or ors other # longer for tie eggs to approaoh.
the female salmon. The sudden plunge of the
gig frightened the male, and no darted away
from the nest several feet, but then stoppSa ana ma
Victim slowly upward. Her lord rushed, after
her, and followed her 70 the top Of the water. |
near the surface and then dropped quickly back
to the nest. He SWAN around IL frantically. sew
courtship days gone. and then rushed down
stream like a race horse. watched Inc next
two dsysfi H e, never Sis Constance Ssms esi IN wido wcrhooa, I
resolved to ascertain what the conduct Of a
female salmon would BIO II widowed under sim-
liar circumstances. I discovered another pair
on their spawning ground and spearod the male.
| The femalo showed some little agitation, but
soon recovered. and presently went hurriedly
",Another prospective salmon family made
food for hungry foesl thought !, for l supposed
But l was mistaken. She was gone only a
few minutes, and then she returned in company
sterner sox. He stepped right into tho shoes OF
his predecessor, 30 to speak, and was as tender;
Hsdot Been ANY This oxhibitien Of. Inconsistency on
the part of the female blunted the sympathy ]
might have had for her over the taking on OF
her first mate, and / destroyed her new felicity
BY spearing her second husband. Ho wasn't out
OF tho water a minute before that female
salmon, the second Jimo u "iuoW, ,uasneu hWuy
down the stream again, and In less than
ten minutes came back with 2 !, third IT'D hus
as the other two had been. and was even
spoonier than they, IL that were possible. ]
speared tho third husband. The widow in,
times I bereft her of her mate. l uon't know
whether the supply of minated salmon had
then run out or not, but on her sixth venture
she returned homo with q big, handsome yellow
trout as her consort. He seemed fully as do
voted to her as any of her husbands had been
and perhaps all would have been we'll II I hat
lett her to her new love. But the conduc,
rather nettled me. and l enlarged the tragedy
by spearing her. The big yellow trout dartet
away to the middle of the stream. but after
had lifted tho often-widowed salmon from thu
water he returned to the nest, glanced over IL
moment, then deliberately devoured Its eggs
and sailed away down stream"