Bibliographical Notices. 329 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



Histoire Naturelle des Potssons d'eau douce de V Europe Centrale. 

 Par L^. Agassiz. P^ Livraison, contenant les Salmones. Oblong 

 folio. Neuchatel, 1839. 



Natural History and Illustrations of the British Salmonidce. By Sir 

 William Jardine, Bart. Part First. Elephant Folio. Edinburgh, 

 1839. 



On the Growth of the Salmon in Freshwater. By William Yarrell, 

 F.L.S., V.P.Z.S., with Six coloured Illustrations of the Fish of 

 the Natural Size. Oblong Folio. Van Voorst. London, 1839. 



The titles of the works which w^e have placed at the head of this 

 notice will show that the interest which the Natural History of the 

 Salmonidae has of late excited, has in no way decreased either in this 

 country or on the Continent, and we sincerely trust that the indivi- 

 duals who are now devoting their talents to the elucidation of the 

 habits and structure of this family of fishes, of much importance 

 commercially and possessing great scientific interest, may be enabled 

 to carry on their investigations until the complete history of the 

 subject is attained. 



At the commencement of the present century, the history of the 

 British fishes composing this family had for a considerable period 

 remained stationary. But then, various experiments began to be 

 tried, with the view of ascertaining the time required by the fiy or 

 smelts to attain a certain weight after leaving the rivers, which was 

 very satisfactorily established, showing a remarkably rapid increase 

 in weight and size. This fact, previously surmised, had given rise to 

 the conclusion, that the young on hatching from the ova increased 

 with equal rapidity, while the history of a little fish provincially 

 known in Scotland as the Parr, created much discussion, and no little 

 dilFerence of opinion, whether it was a young state of the Salmon 

 or a full-grown and perfect fish. The immense decrease of the Salmon 

 fisheries also called for investigation ; and although the habits of the 

 species which composed the chief staple of the fisheries were prac- 

 tically known to the Taxmen, the proprietors or their factors were 

 not sufficiently conversant with their growth, migration, or breeding, 

 either to impose salutary restrictions in the leases, or to check the in- 

 discriminate and over-killing of the fish, which was almost the sole 

 cause of the decrease ; the latter caused the appointment of various 

 Parliamentary Committees, which published reports containing an 



