On Tue, 3 Jul 2007 23:15:52 -0600, "Wolfgang"
wrote:


I suspect that, whatever was known scientifically, the common meme was
that fish returned to their birthplace. I learned it in the 1940s
from my father, who must have learned it prior to 1920, as that's
where most of his memes came from (as well as most of what real
knowledge he had). This was told to me as being true of all fish, not
just migratory ones. I think the meme got simplified somewhere along
the way from reality to my ear. Many of the things I was taught by my
father had that problem.

BTW, the mated for life thing with birds does pretty well prove true.
In cases where one of the partners indulges in a spot or even a whole
season, of infidelity, they return to one another for the rest of life
in all the cases I've heard of. Mated for life doesn't seem to a bird
to mean anything like a law of sexual fidelity, though they often act
as if it does. More like a general rule. It's also been noted that
if one partner dies, the remaining one does not don mourning and waste
away. They find someone else, if possible.
--

r.bc: vixen
Minnow goddess, Speaker to squirrels, willow watcher.
Almost entirely harmless. Really.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli