68 AMERICAN FISHES. 



no females, as had been surmised ; since of three hundred and ninety- 

 five Parrs, or Samlets, examined by Dr. Heysham, one hundred and 

 ninety-nine were males, and one hundred and ninety-six females. 



The great point, however, is this, which is now, I think, perfectly 

 clear, and which at once dispels all the mystery of the question — 

 namely — that the young of all the Salmonidcs — not several only, as 

 Sir William Jardine and Mr. Yarrel state, but all — have, in their 

 extreme youth, transverse bluish, or olive-colored markings ; that they 

 have all been confounded with one another, and — if there be such a 

 fish — with the Parr proper ; and that from this confusion, and the 

 want of discrimination on the part of the observers, have arisen all 

 the contradictory accounts of Salmon, Salmon Trout, Bull Trout, 

 and Common Trout, raised from the veritable Parr. 



Whether there do or do not exist a very small, distinct species 

 of Salmo, in Great Britain, which retains these marks to maturity, 

 is a matter of little comparative moment, though interesting to the 

 naturalist. The first question was of the greatest importance, as 

 involving the whole subject of reproduction of species ; inasmuch 

 as the facts, as asserted and formerly believed, were directly 

 analogous to this, that from the eggs of a barn-door fowl, of one 

 laying, were hatched bantams, quail, guinea-hens, pea-fowl, and any 

 other gallinaceous fowl you please. 



On this continent, assuredly, there is no distinct Parr, although 

 undoubtedly it will appear hereafter, that like the young of every one 

 of the family, like the true Salmon, the greater Lake Trout, and the 

 Brook Trout, the other species without exception, have the Parr 

 markings. 



On this topic I have dwelt somewhat at length, yet I trust not so 

 long as to weary my readers, the great interest of the point at issue, 

 and the almost interminable discussion which has been maintained on 

 the subject, rendering me peculiarly anxious to adduce something new 

 and to the point ; which, thanks to the kind assistance of my friend, 

 Mr. Agassiz, I trust I have succeeded in doing. 



I may here venture to add that the distinguished gentleman I have 

 just named, is inclined to incredulity as regards the existence of a 

 distinct species of Parr. 



I shall now recur to the experiments on the ova of Salmon ; first. 



