SALMON. 33 



the received opinion botli of scientific and practical observers, 

 ever since the natural history of the Salmon became a subject 

 of inquiry. I have no wish to attempt removing these 

 opinions by the substitution of others which may be equally 

 destitute of a correct foundation, but by the statement of 

 facts resulting from the most careful and repeatedly verified 

 experiments experiments which, I believe, have been made 

 by no other individual on the same principle for a similar 

 purpose ; for had they been so, I am persuaded the real 

 history and economy of this valuable and interesting fish 

 would long ere now have been more correctly understood by 

 the community. However, should similar observations have 

 been made, the results of which tend to support any material 

 facts contradictory of those here stated, it would be most 

 desirable that the scientific public should be immediately 

 apprised of them. 



" It has been asserted, with some appearance of truth, in 

 support of the old school theory, that owing to the com- 

 paratively limited range of my experimental ponds, that 

 the young Salmon reared in them have not had a ' sup- 

 ply of food sufficiently varied, or in sufficient quantity, to 

 insure an equally rapid growth to those in the open river. 1 

 This objection, I must repeat, is by no means tenable, as the 

 streams and ponds in which they have existed from their 

 birth abound with every species of insect food peculiar to the 

 river, and, at the same time, the fishes themselves (which are 

 certainly the best test), are in the highest possible health and 

 condition, and correspond in every respect Avith those in the 

 river. I have already stated that the young of the Salmon 

 remain in the river for the first two years after their birth, 

 being then known under the various local denominations of 

 Parrs, Pinks, Fingerlings, &c. However, in order to pre- 

 vent any misconception of the terms employed in the course 

 of these details, I shall adhere to the name Parr, as being 



VOL. II. D 



