ON THE YOUNG OF THE SALMON. 167 



salmon, as is well known, will attain a size of five or six 

 pounds, in the same time. 



One principal reason why naturalists are indisposed to 

 consider the samlets as the young of the salmon, is, that the 

 latter are supposed to spawn during the winter inonihs only, 

 and I observe considerable reliance is placed on this circum- 

 stance (erroneous though it be), in classing these fish as a 

 distinct species. That salmon spawn at other times of the 

 year, further and more accurate observations will prove, and 

 to them I have already alluded in the present communication. 

 In addition to what I have here brought forward, it is satis- 

 factory to me to have had my views confirmed in this respect, 

 having, since the first part of this paper was written, seen 

 an extract from an old author and accurate observer (Francks), 

 stating that, " being angling one hot sun-shiny day, he took 

 umbrage under a tree near the river, from the heat of the sun, 

 and there observed two salmon, male and female, in the act 

 of depositing their spawn," which he describes very particu- 

 larly, and which description coincides with later and more 

 accurate observations of the present day ; therefore, it must be 

 admitted, that this "hot sun-shiny day" could not have been 

 in the winter months. And in Mr. Yarrell's own work, I ob- 

 serve it is stated, that in Sweden salmon do spawn in the 

 summer ; is it therefore unlikely that they may occasionally 

 spawn in the summer in this countrj^, and in other months ? 



In further support of this I will mention, that in the estu- 

 aries, or within a short distance in the fresh water, the same 

 net will occasionally draw out salmon of every size, varying 

 from one to four pounds, and upwards ; and if the mesh be 

 sufficiently fine, down to the smallest samlet ; which alone 

 proves, from their different sizes, that they must have been 

 produced at various times of the year. I have myself seen 

 salmon of every size, varying from half-a-pound up to ten 

 pounds, in each month, from May to December ; yet Mr. 

 Yarrell says there is no instance of one in the autumn under 

 sixteen or eighteen inches in length ; those who have been 

 fishing in the fresh water within a short distance of the tide- 

 way of rivers, will bear testimony to what I say, that they 

 are numerous at that time, and it needs but little enquiry and 

 observation to ascertain this, and even so late as December, 

 as I have already noticed in the previous paper. I will just 

 remark, that those between half-a-pound and three pounds in 

 weight, are called, in different places, salmon-peal, morts, 

 salmon-morts, grilse, sewin, and various other names, except 

 the right one, which only tends to mystify the subject ; and 

 some will even pretend to say they are a distinct species, but 



