92 Salmonidas 



tances as those traversed by the quinnat and the blue-back. 

 Its kelts, therefore, for the most part survive the act of spawn- 

 ing. Dr. Day thinks that they feed upon the young salmon in the 

 rivers, and that, therefore, the destruction of the kelts might 

 increase the supply of salmon. 



As a food-fish the Atlantic salmon is very similar to the 

 quinnat salmon, neither better nor worse, so far as I can see, 

 when equally fresh. In both the flesh is rich and finely flavored ; 

 but the appetite of man becomes cloyed with salmon-flesh sooner 

 than with that of whitefish, smelt, or charr. In size the Atlan- 

 tic salmon does not fall far short of the quinnat. The average 

 weight of the adult is probably less than fifteen pounds. The 

 largest one of which I find a record was taken on the coast of 

 Ireland in 1881, and weighed 84! pounds. 



The salmon is found in Europe between the latitude of 45 

 and 75. In the United States it is now rarely seen south of 

 Cape Cod, although formerly the Hudson and numerous other 

 rivers were salmon-streams. Overfishing, obstructions in the 

 rivers, and pollution of the water by manufactories and by 

 city sewage are agencies against which the salmon cannot cope. 



Seven species of salmon (as distinguished from trout) are 

 recognized by Dr. Giinther in Europe, and three in America. 

 The landlocked forms, abundant in Norway, Sweden, and 

 Maine, which cannot, or at least do not, descend to the sea, are 

 regarded by him as distinct species. "The question," observes 

 Dr Giinther, "whether any of the migratory species can be 

 retained by artificial means in fresh water, and finally accom- 

 modate themselves to a permanent sojourn therein, must be 

 negatived for the present." On this point I think that the 

 balance of evidence leads to a different conclusion. These 

 fresh-water forms (Sebago and Ouananiche) are actually salmon 

 which have become landlocked. I have compared numerous 

 specimens of the common landlocked salmon (Salmo salar 

 sebago) of the lakes of Maine and New Brunswick with land- 

 locked salmon (Salmo salar hardini) from the lakes of Sweden, 

 and with numerous migratory salmon, both from America and 

 Europe. I see no reason for regarding them as specifically 

 distinct. The differences are very trivial in kind, and not 

 greater than would be expected on the hypothesis of recent 



