1867.] 127 [Lyman. 



during September, In the Mei-rimack, and late in October in the Con- 

 necticut. It has been ascertained definitely, that the youna; fish do 

 not remain in the river after the end of September, when they have 

 attained a length of about four inches, and resemble the adult in form, 

 but have not yet the lateral line of dark spots behind the head, which 

 may be seen in the adult after the scales are removed. The youno- 

 taken in August exhibit an extraordinary difference in size, showinp- 

 that the spawn is deposited at different times by different shoals of 

 fish, and that, therefore, the broods of young will be more or less 

 grown according to their ages. The length of life In the shad is a 

 disputed point. Dr. Howell thinks they get their full growth In a sin- 

 gle year. Valenciennes inclines to the belief, that, In the European 

 species, many individuals die after spawning, at the end of their first 

 year. On the other hand, the investigations of Mr. U. S. Treat of 

 Eastport, show that the alewlfe gets Its full growth only at the end of 

 four years ; and analogy might point to the belief that the closely al- 

 lied shad had the same rate of development. Certain it is that there 

 is a great difference in size among fish caught in the same river. In 

 the Merrimack they range from three to eight pounds. In the 

 Maine rivers they attain to ten pounds, and In the Delaware they 

 are caught as large as twelve pounds. These differences, however, 

 may as well be due to food and locality as to age. 



The salmon (Salmo salar') is common to the northern waters both 

 of America and of Europe. In Its habit of spawning In fresh water 

 it resembles the shad, but there the likeness ends. It seeks the cold- 

 est, purest and most rapid streams that are to be found at the sources 

 of the river It frequents. It comes from the sea nearly with the shad, 

 or a little later, and is then In high condition. After Its entrance Into 

 fresh water, it steadily falls away; indeed the generally received 

 opinion is, that it eats little or nothing during its sojourn in the river* 

 and its habit of rising at, and seizing, an artificial fly, is generally at- 

 tributed to play or to Irritation. The spawning season does not occur 

 till autumn, or till winter, according to the country. In New Bruns- 

 wick this season Is from the first of October till early in November ; in 

 the Merrimack it was in October, and in the Connecticut, early in 

 September. It should be observed, however, that rivers of the same 

 region may vary by some weeks in their spawning season, owino- to 

 their relative position and the temperature of their Avaters. 



Seeking a gravelly spot, in a pure, running stream, the female ex- 

 cavates with her head a series of shallow holes. In each of which she 

 deposits a portion of spawn, which is impregnated by the male and 

 covered with gravel partly by the current of the stream, and partly 

 by the tails of the fish. The parent fish soon after go down to the 

 sea. They are then in a state of extreme emaciation, and are known 



