208 



SEWEN. 



Silver Salmon, besides names common to it with other fish. 



Salmo Cambricus, Donovan; pi. 91. 



It has been a commonly-received opinion, adopted, without 

 much inquiry, that the Sewen is only a variety of the Peal, 

 and by many also that both these fishes are no other than an 

 early stage of the Salmon, but modified perhaps by particular 

 circumstances; and there is reason to believe that in many 

 instances these species, and also the Sea and Salmon Trouts, 

 have been confounded together; an unfortunate circumstance, 

 as we have already hinted, for many poor fishermen, who have 

 been convicted and severely punished for fishing with too 

 small a mesh for the Lord of the River in the open sea, 

 when, in fact, none such could have been caught, and they 

 were only in the hope of obtaining the smaller and less 

 valuable fish. A portion of this mistake has arisen from the 

 confusion of names by which these fishes have been designated, 

 for it appears that in many places the Peal is called a 

 Sewen, and the Sewen a ^V^hite Trout or Peal, while the 

 Salmon in its younger state may pass for either of them. 

 But after having carefully examined these fishes, for the 

 opportunity of doing which I am indebted to Edmund T. 

 Higgins, Esq., I have come to the conclusion that the Sewen 

 is a distinct species, as Donovan also thought, and in this 

 light we treat of it accordingly. 



In Wales it is the general belief that this fish is not found 

 anywhere but in that portion of the United Kingdom; and 

 even there it is said that it is only met with in those rivers 

 which run towards the west. It seems probable, also, that its 



