There is gallantry in sacrifice for an ideal. When such sacrifice is made by a reasoning human we term it heroism, but when performed by an unreasoning fish we pass it off lightly under the heading of instinct.

No one who reads Roderick L. Haig-Brown's "Return to the River" will deny the gallantry of the Chinook salmon….

The book is much more than the mere tale of a salmon, for Mr. Haig-Brown has not neglected the dramatic values or the human equation. The contents are as far removed from scientific text as the Chinook is from the bullhead. It is enhanced by the author's ability to bring out what might well be termed the romance of the commonplace.

So pleasantly and easily does the story run, you are somewhat surprised at its conclusion to realize that you have learned quite a bit about Chinook salmon, the waters in...