The Natural History of the Salmon, 165 



breaking down some of the gravel crust above and over the nest. Thus is 

 formed a complete spawning bed, not at once, not by a single effort, but 

 piecemeal, and at several intervals of greater or less duration, according to 

 the age and size of the fish and quantity of ova to be deposited." They 

 are usually occupied from five to ten days. 



When this task is accomplished they descend the stream to the nearest 

 pool and there remain awhile to recruit. They are now Kelts, and mafit to 

 be eaten. After they have somewhat recovered from the exhausting process 

 of spawning, they proceed slowly down stream to the tide waters, where they 

 linger a time before going out to their ocean feeding grounds. In Great 

 Britain it has been observed that these streams which empty into a sea having 

 a north and south direction, the Salmon, on returning, swim northward. It 

 was long a matter of inquiry what they fed upon at sea. Upon opening 

 their stomachs, Sir Humj)hrey Davy found only a little yellow fluid, and the 

 parastical worms which bred there. That they found food of some kind, and 

 that in great abundance, was well proved by their coming back in a few 

 months so much increased in flesh and flavor. The microscopical observa- 

 tions of Dr. Knox have shewn that their sea food consists of the eggs of 

 Echiuodermata and Crustacea. 



Let us now go back and look after the Salmon eggs which we left 

 buried up in the sand and gravel at the bottom of the stream. Careful 

 observations and experiments recently made in Great Britain, have disclosed 

 many important particulars relating to the hatching and growth of the young 

 Salmon. It has been ascertained that the time between the deposition of 

 the ova and the appearance of the little fish varies with the temperature of 

 the water. When the water is at 36 ° Farenheit, they are hatched in 114 

 days, when at 43° in 101 days, and when at 45° in 90 days. When the 

 fish are first hatched the yolk of the Qgg is found adhering to the under side 

 of the little fry ; this is gradually absorbed, but does not wholly disappear 

 until the expiration of about four weeks. During this time the fry are 

 entirely supported or fed by this yolk, and feeling no hunger they make no 

 effort to procure food. When first hatched they are about five-eighths of an 

 inch long, of a pale peach blossom color, and by the time they are two months 

 old, they have grown to about an inch and a quarter in length. During this 

 period their growth is very slow, at six months they are not more than three 

 inches and a half long, and are easily recognized by the transverse dusky 

 bars which mark their sides, and the small red dots about the lateral line. — 

 They are now called Parr, * and retain this appearance and name until they 

 have grown to the length of about seven inches. But here a change suddenly 

 comes over them, they loose the dusky transverse markings and red spots, 

 and take on a more Salmon-like appearance ; the back and sides down to the 

 lateral line assume a dusky greenish hue, the sides below the lateral line and 

 the belly, and the ventral and anal fins a shining silvery white. The fish is 

 now one year old, and is called a Sahnon Smolt. As soon as this change 



=* The Parr appearance is believed to be common to the young of all the 

 Salznonjdae at a certain age. 



