GEN. SALMO. THE PARR. 125 



can do little more than state the results, referring to 

 his published account for the details.* 



In order to determine what became of Parr, 

 Mr. Shaw repeatedly placed them in a pond, pro- 

 perly constructed, and found that they invariably 

 assumed the appearance of Salmon Smelts, after a 

 certain time. Thus, several enclosed on 11th July 

 1833, had become Smelts in 17th May 1834. 

 Twelve caught in March J 835, which were of 

 large sizes, that is about six inches long, were 

 transmuted into Smelts by the end of April, of the 

 same year. " I had thus no doubt," says he " that 

 the larger Parrs observable in rivers in autumn, 

 winter, and early spring, were in reality the actual 

 Salmon fry advancing to the conclusion of their 

 second year^ and that the smaller summer Parrs 

 (called in Dumfries-shire May Parrs) w'ere the same 

 species, but younger as individuals, and only entering 

 upon their second year." With the view of detect- 

 ing the Parr in its earlier state, which had not pre- 

 viously been determined, a few dozen of small 

 active fish, about an inch long, were taken by a 

 gauze-net from a river where Salmon had spawned 

 the preceding year. After being kept in a pond till 

 they w^ere more than a year old, they were found to 

 be three inches and a half long, and to correspond in 

 every respect with Parr of the same age in the river. 

 In another year these also were transmuted into 



* Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, vol. xiv. 

 p. 547. Mr. Shaw's earliest notice on the subject appeared in 

 the Edinburgh New Philosophical Jovunal, vol. xxiv, p. 1 ^b. 



