Essays in Natural History and Agriculture — John Shaqi
Essays in Natural History and AgricultureGarnett, Thomas
Science
Essays in Natural History and Agriculture
Garnett, Thomas
Agriculture; Salmon; Zoology
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, for why should the larger number of fish ascend the
smaller river except for such a reason?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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