38 SPECIES OF THE SALMON. 



quitted the sea ; the high crimson is considered to 

 possess the finest flavour, but it is entirely matter of 

 opinion which is the best of the three ; in general 

 a high-conditioned salmon is thought the best. 

 All three when they arrive in our rivers from the 

 sea have the lerncea salmonea upon them. This 

 fact appears to me to be conclusive in itself. 



4. I never met with any man who was able to 

 declare that he had seen a young salmon of one, 

 two, or three pounds' weight ; nor do I appre- 

 hend that such ever was seen, unless it were in the 

 character of peal or truff. Yet salmon of this 

 description must be always in our rivers, upon 

 our coasts, and in our power, and yet none are 

 ever seen or taken. No one can tell us where 

 they are, or where they go, or w T hat becomes of 

 them, which is a most extraordinary circumstance, 

 if such salmon really exist. It is more particu- 

 larly so, as 



5. We see and are perfectly well acquainted with 

 the young of every other kind of sea and river fish, 

 nay, of aquatic insects, from the very largest to 

 the smallest, as well those which are viviparous 

 as those which are oviparous, from the whale to 

 the pink minnow and the shrimp. Why then do 

 we never see the young of the peal or the truf£ if 

 there be such ? The transition from the fry to the 

 full-grown salmon cannot be so instantaneous as 

 never to have furnished - one single instance of a 

 young one being taken of one, two, or three 

 pounds' weight 



