186 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PAR. 



state of perfection, as to be, to all intents and 

 purposes, a salmon, or a salmon trout — as the case 

 may be — in miniature. On the other hand, the 

 par has no greater resemblance to any one of the 

 salmon tribe, than the common trout. It will be 

 found in the river, in the cold months of Decem- 

 ber and January — long prior to the appearance 

 of the salmon-fry — and although it will associate 

 with the fry in the same streams, it will not, like 

 them (at least at that period), migrate, but will 

 remain in the river after the fry have gone down 

 to the sea ; it will there continue in abundance, 

 throughout the whole summer : and many will 

 be found when the cold weather returns. On 

 what grounds, therefore, can it be contended, that 

 fish so essentially different, both in habits and 

 appearance, can possibly be one and the same ? 



On examining the par, about the early part of 

 October, at which period it would seem to have 

 attained its full size (sometimes two ounces), a 

 very curious question arises, which, while it 

 affords the most satisfactory evidence that it is 

 not the young of the salmon, leaves the question 

 of its real habits in considerable doubt. At this 

 period, almost every fish that is taken (that is, 

 with the rod and line), will be found to be males, 

 the milt of which is usually so large as to com- 

 prise nearly one-fourth of the weight of the 

 whole fish ; and in so forward a state, as to be 



