250 SAMLET, OR PARR 



an opinion on this point, as such a peculiarity could scarcely 

 have escaped the notice of other observers, and in this instance 

 it may have been only a casual malformation, and no oppor- 

 tunity offered itself of following up the inquiry. It is certain 

 however that in no case do the males possess the bent-up 

 lower jaw which is so characteristic of the full-grown Salmon 

 when the milt is enlarged; and in consequence the sexes are 

 not to be readily distinguished. Such a one, however, I 

 handed over to Mr. William Laughrin, A.L.S., for examination; 

 and he afterwards assured me that the roe was considerably 

 developed. 



In support of the opinions already expressed, we add the 

 authority of Ephemera, already referred to, jointly with that of 

 his friend Mr. Young, together with a description of what we 

 believe to be the true Parr or Samlet, as compared with the 

 Trout and young Salmon, as opportunity has been afforded us. 

 Ephemera observes of his figure of the young Salmon of four 

 inches in length, that "it resembles the little Trout called the 

 Parr, but its fins are much longer than those of that little fish, 

 and its whole shape is much less perfect. Not observing those 

 marks of distinction has led to the confounding of Salmon fry 

 with Parr; calling them indeed 'Parr,' as JSIr. Shaw and his 

 followers do; whereas the Parr is a distinct adult fish, of the 

 river Trout species;" to which is added by Mr. Young, "a 

 full-grown Parr is the length of a Salmon fry of nine months 

 old; but its fins are little more than half the size of those 

 of the fry. It is fuller and darker in the body, and in form 

 like that of a well-shaped Common Trout. Its cross bars or 

 finger-marks, as they are commonly called, lie closer together 

 on the body than the transverse bars do on that of the Salmon 

 fry." 



Sir William Jardine has defined the differences between the 

 Samlet and the Common Trout, of the latter of which the 

 former Avas once as confidently believed to be a variety as by 

 many it is now believed to be of the Salmon. But comparing 

 the latter with it w^hcn of equal size, I find the front of the 

 Samlet more blunt and round; the eye differently placed, as 

 not so low and near the gape; gill-covers differently formed in 

 their outline; pectoral fins more rounded. The vomerine teeth 

 are also differently placed, and extend further back towards the 



