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fact almost every class has joined. Arguments for and against 
their being the young of the salmon have been employed, 
invectives against opponents have been freely indulged in, and 
all because no one would hatch the little.fish from the ovum, 
and ascertain the various changes it went through in the course 
of the first few years of its life. 
As this history is a most instructive one I propose giving a 
short summary of it, as well as exhibiting the fish as it has 
been reared direct from the egg of the salmon, also as it 
is turning into a smolt, and after it has become a grilse. 
Isaak Watton Compleat Angler, 1653, remarks that ‘in 
divers rivers, especially that relate to or be near to the sea, 
as Winchester or the Thames about Windsor, is a little trout 
called a ‘ samlet’ or ‘skegger trout,’ and that these be by some 
taken to be young salmons,”’ 
We find WiuLovcuey (Historia Piscium, 1686, page 192) 
giving a description of the Salmulus or ‘* samlet”’ of Hereford- 
shire, which, he tells us, inhabits the Wye, and all which he has 
examined were males; he however places it as a distinct species. 
In the next page he gives it as branlins or fingerins, and asserts 
that he is persuaded that they interbreed with the salmon, and 
are only found in such places as are frequented by the salmon. 
WILLouGHBY was persuaded that all the various species of the 
genus Salmo interbred. 
Ray (Synopsis Methodica Piscium, 1718, page 63) classes the 
samlet of Herefordshire and the branlin and fingerin of York- 
shire all as one species, and of which it is affirmed all are males. 
Captain Francxs (Northern Memoirs, 1658, page 301) describes 
‘‘the various brood of salmon, so to distinguish them according 
to mode, or as some will have it the custom of the country. 
In the south they call him ‘samlet,’ but if you step to the west 
he is better known there by the name of ‘skeggar;’ when in 
the east they avow him ‘penk;’ but to the northward ‘ brood’ 
and ‘ locksper,’ so from thence to a ‘ tecon,’ then to a ‘ salmon.’” 
J. Wituramson (The British Angler, 1711, page 138) considers 
“the ‘samlet,’ or ‘salmon-smelt,’ or, as they are called by 
some, ‘salmon-fry,’ are only so many different names for the 
‘ young salmon.’ ” 
