1}6 UPON THE NATURE OF THE PAR, 



swimming or traversing the bed of the river, while its great length of 

 body and consequent specific gravity enables it to sink with facility. 

 What a contrast does this present to the long and agile limbs, 

 lengthened neck, and light body of the swift and timid tenant of the 

 mountain and the plain ! Were they to change situations, how could 

 the necessary adaptations be made in physical structure, according to 

 the fanciful theory of some modern naturalists ? 



E. G. BALLARD. 



Islington, \\th Dec., 1833. 



UPON THE NATURE OF THE PAR, AS OBSERVED IN 



SCOTLAND. 



THIS small fish abundantly frequents our Scottish rivers, and (as is 

 well known) is never found except in streams accessible to the sea- 

 trout and salmon. We are aware that Pennant and other writers have 

 disputed this fact, and attempt to prove upon their own observation, 

 certainly not the most accurate, that few are to be caught in some 

 waters which salmon are unable to ascend. Pennant mentions a stream 

 in Inverness-shire in support of his assertion, the upper part of which is 

 separated from the rest by an insurmountable water-fall, and yet con- 

 tains par in considerable numbers. We have inquired into the truth 

 of this statement, and find that it must have originated in some mistake 

 of the learned tourist, who confuses with this fish a very small species 

 of trout, inhabiting rapid and stony streams, and which, in external 

 appearance somewhat resembles the par, without possessing any of its 

 fixed and characteristic developments. Like that, it is white and silvery, 

 active for its size, and in many cases marked on the side with those 

 blueish impressions as of depending finger-points, which are erro- 

 neously supposed to be the leading distinction of the other ; we say 

 erroneously, because anglers must have observed, how even common 

 and good sized trout are often set off with this peculiarity in different 

 degrees. Nor do we wonder much at Mr. Pennant's statement, since 

 we have known observing and scientific craftsmen fall into a similar 

 error, and hold out to be the par what a little examination has proved 

 to be the common river-trout. What then, it may be asked, are the 

 points which distinguish this fish ? And first, let it be noted how the 

 par, with very few if any exceptions, hath only one row of scarlet 

 spots or stars extended on either side, from the gills to the tail, whereas 



