1G8 ON THi; YOUNG OF THE SALMON. 



any person acquainted with the salmon in their various 

 stages, needs no information as to what species they belong. 



It is a common observation amongst anglers, in the months 

 of June and July, that there are, at that time, few or no sam- 

 lets in the rivers (having, as is supposed, all gone down to 

 the sea), and this opinion is formed, because few are then to 

 be taken with the rod and line. This may be accounted for 

 as follows : — the previous shoals, the produce of the general 

 spawning time, having migrated to the sea, leave behind a 

 superabundance of food for the lesser number that remain, 

 being the produce of a later period of spawning, so that the 

 invitation, with hook and line attached, is not taken so rea- 

 dily, and the angler can find but little sport, although several 

 may even then be occasionally captured. That they are 

 then tolerably numerous in the rivers, is proved by the suc- 

 cess which I have known to attend the discreditable prac- 

 tice of netting with illegal nets at that time. In xlugust and 

 September, when there is not that abujidance of insect food 

 as in the summer months, the hook and line becomes again 

 tolerably successful, and from this circumstance it is said, 

 though erroneously, that there are a larger quantity of the 

 samlets in the rivers, and a name is given them as a distinct 

 species. 



If one circumstance more than another tends to prove the 

 autumn-samlet to be the young of the salmon, the following 

 may be mentioned. In the estuaries of rivers, in the month 

 of December, and doubtless, in other months (but I speak 

 only from my own observations), these fish may be seen, 

 varying in size, from two ounces to a quarter-of-a-pound, 

 changing their red spots and trout-like appearance for the 

 darker spots and silvery appearance of the salmon, those of 

 the larger size having completely acquired their salmon-like 

 appearance, and which external change, it is well known, the 

 salmon-fry undergo in the salt-water. That this alteration 

 in their appearance is caused by coming in contact with a 

 different element, joined with a different description of food, 

 I think is very probable. The exact time I speak of was 

 the 29th of December. Now, I think it must be admitted, 

 that seeing these fish in their various stages in the salt water, 

 at a time when they are said to be but of one size, and 

 spawning in the fresh water, must make an impression on the 

 mind of the observer that they are not a distinct species, but 

 the young of some other fish, and that fish the salmon. I 

 know of no better situations for coming to a right conclusion 

 than places of this kind, where they may be seen in all their 

 various stages, and T would beg to call upon those who re- 



