220 BLUE POLL. 



these fishes was hailed as a sign of success, in the large number 

 that was to follow. No description is given by which we might 

 be certain of the species, but we suppose it to be the fish we 

 are about to describe, since it is the only other one known 

 among us that is not mentioned by this author. In the west of 

 the kingdom the name of Blue Cap is applied by some fishermen 

 to the Salmon in the first year of its growth, and thus it answers 

 to what is known in the north of England by the name of Grilse; 

 but the fishermen are prepared to acknowledge another fish with 

 this name as a separate species, of examples of which we offer 

 a figure and description obtained from the river Looe, in Cornwall; 

 where it is known to anglers, but at this time scarcely to be 

 obtained, as its visits from the sea are only made during the 

 prohibited months of winter. Indeed, in the western counties 

 the numbers at any time are but small; but we learn that in 

 the Camel, which opens on the north of Cornwall, towards the 

 entrance of the Bristol channel, in its season it is in sufficient 

 abundance to have formed an object of attention to fishermen 

 before a law existed which laid a penalty on the taking of them. 

 From some unknown cause they do not increase in the rivers 

 with which we are acquainted, but they are in large abundance 

 in the north of England, and in Scotland Sir W. Jardine found 

 them in the summer in much greater numbers than any of the 

 other species of the Salmon tribes. We suppose they frequent 

 the rivers of Ireland also; but they have not yet been 

 distinguished from the kindred species in that kingdom. 



In common with the other fishes of this family the Blue 

 Poll sheds its spawn in December and January; but sometimes 

 as early as October. It is said that the proportion of the sexes 

 is unequal, there being more males than females; but both of 

 them unite their efforts in forming a channel for the reception 

 of the roe; which channel is less deep than that of the Salmon, 

 and not so long. The young of this species are called Skirlings, 

 but we suppose that this name is not strictly confined to them, 

 but is common to several species. It appears certain that the 

 adult Blue Poll does not enter the Cornish rivers in the summer, 

 although the want of a sufficient flow of water cannot be 

 assigned as an hindrance to a fish of such comparatively small 

 size. After spawning, we believe that they have all gone 

 down to the sea before the end of February, or early in March. 



