1. SALMO. 13 



Bor.-A7ner. Fishes, p. 145 ; DeKay, Fish, of New York, p. 241, pi. 38. 

 fig. 122 ; Storer, Synopsis of the Fishes of North America, p. 192. 



B. 11-12. D.14. A. 11. P. 14. V.9. L.lat.l20, L. transv. ^|^^ 

 Yevt. 59 (GO, Rosenthal). Csec.pyl. 53-77(m.),63-6S{Bichards.), 

 60-67 ( Valenc). 



Attaining to a length of from four to five feet ; female mature at 

 a length of about fifteen inches. 



Head rather low ; the operculum somewhat produced, its length 

 contained in its depth once and two-fifths in large examples, once and 

 one-fourth in halfgrown ones, and once and one-fifth in young ones. 

 The posterior point of junction of operculum and suboperculum is 

 midway between the upper end of the gill-opening and the lower 

 anterior angle of the suboperculum. Prseoperculum with a distinct 

 lower limb, and with the angle rounded (see woodcut, p. 6). Snout 

 much produced in the male, and the lower jaw with a strongly 

 curved prominence during the spawning-season * ; maxillary as long 

 as, or shorter than the snout in specimens above 20 inches in length ; 

 it extends to below the posterior margin of the orbit, but only to 

 below the middle of the eye in the Parr-state ; it is slender and 

 rather feeble in mature examples, but stout and broad in young 

 ones. The head of the vomer subpentagonal, as long as broad, 

 toothless ; the body of this bone with a single series of small teeth, 

 which at an early age are gradually lost from behind towards the 

 front, so that half-grown and old examples have only a few (from 

 one to four) left. The caudal fin is deeply cleft in young examples, 

 in which the longest rays are more than twice as long as the middle 

 ones, and it remains forked or distinctly emarginate in specimens 

 of 28 inches in length ; it is truncate only in very large examples 

 during or after spawning. The hind part of the body is elongate, 

 and covered with relatively large scales, there being constantly eleven 

 or sometimes twelve in a transverse series running from behind the 

 adipose fin obUquely forwards to the lateral line. 



Young with about eleven dusky cross bars ; halfgrown and old 

 specimens silvery, with small black spots in small number ; spawn- 

 ing males with numerous large black and red spots, some of the red 

 spots confluent into more or less extensive patches, especially on 

 the belly. 



A migratory species, inhabiting temperate Europe to 43° N. lat., 

 not found in the rivers falling into the MediteiTanean, appears to 

 extend southwards to the Bay of Biscay. The same species is said 

 to inhabit northern Asia and America to 41° N. lat. 



* In old males this hook is often one inch long or even longer, perforating the 

 upper jaw between the intermaxillaries. It is generally believed that this hook 

 is absorbed again after the Salmon has retiimed to the sea. However it is more 

 probable that the observation made by Steller, Pallas, Richardson, and others, 

 according to which old examples of Salmonoids of Kamtschatka and North- 

 western America perish after the efforts of propagation, also holds good with 

 regard to European Salmons of the age and condition indicated. A number of 

 such " kelt<-d " Salmon are found dead in every Siilnion-river; and probably 

 those which reach the sea alive perisli there. 



