and lastsprlng — we may be able to elucidate tbe perplexed history 

 .of the salmon. 



One or two facts are puzzling enough to the unohserving and 

 unscientific. It is known that the salmon fry go down to the sea 

 every spring ; yet, at all seasons, this fish is in the river : hence, 

 it has been denied, that as it is found all the year in the river, 

 it can be same species as that which abandons the fresh water in 

 the spring. Nor could it be, if the salmon fry really left the 

 river soon after it was hatched — a belief which formerly pre- 

 vailed — because in that case, all would disappear together. But 

 since they are now proved to remain nearly two years in the 

 fresh water, before they seek the sea, it is obvious there must be 

 these fish in the river the whole of every year : those which have 

 arrived at the age destined by nature for migration, accordingly 

 migrate ; the rest remain in their native stream, awaiting the 

 appointed time ; and so on, in succession al years. 



The external appearance of others of the salmonidse, when 

 young, has sufficient resemblance to deceive many. The same 

 dusky, transvers bars, mark their sides. But this is no perplexity 

 to the naturalist. A family likeness, in early youth, is the 

 common stamp of nature. The lion's whelp, and the young of the 

 domestic cat, have alike the tiger's marks. Fawns, in their 

 youthful days are spotted — though when adult, many kinds are 

 perfectly plain. However closely outward forms may approx- 

 imate, there is no instance, so far as I am aware, of a coincidence 

 of formation in the osteology of different species of the same 

 genus ; and I may venture to affirm, that organic structure is 

 incontrovertible evidence. Determine the anatomy of the salmon, 

 and when a small fish of the migratory salmonidse is found, having 

 corresponding anatomy, that fish may fearlessly claim heirship to 

 the salmon. The parr has sixty vertibrse, and the salmon is the 

 only one of the salmonidse having the same number. He must 

 be a daring naturalist, therefore, who, in classifying these, should 

 assign them the parentage of others of their genus. If a race of 

 men were found, having thirty-three vertibrse — which is one more 

 than we have — what would it be ? of the genus homo, certainly, 



