525 
Pennant (British Zoology, iv., 1776, page 303) says the 
samlet is the least of the trout kind, it is by several imagined to be 
the fry of the salmon, but from which he dissented, first, because 
salmon fry vanish on the first vernal flood after they have been 
born, and which sweeps them into the sea, leaving scarce 
one behind; and secondly, because the growth of the salmon 
fry is so quick and so considerable as suddenly to exceed the 
size of the largest samlet. That the salmon attains to a con- 
siderable size before it breeds, while samlets on the contrary 
are found male and female, although it has been vulgarly 
imagined that there were no other than males of this species. 
That they are present all the year round in the rivers, and 
spawn in November and December. He concludes “these fish 
are very frequent in the rivers of Scotland, where they are 
called ‘ pars ;’ they are also common in the Wye, where they 
are known by the name of ‘skirlings’ and ‘lasprings.’” He 
gives a short extract from Mr Ports respecting the salmon of 
the Tweed,—“ about the latter end of March the spawn begins 
to exclude the young, which gradually increase to the length 
of four or five inches, and are then termed ‘ smelts’ or ‘ smouts.’ 
About the beginning of May the river is full of them, it seems 
to be all alive; there is no having an idea of the numbers 
without seeing them; but a seasonable flood then hurries them 
all to the sea, scarce any or very few being left in the river.” 
Turron (British Fauna, 1807 page 104) admits Salmo sal- 
mulus as a distinct species. 
Should we now turn to the “Reports on the Salmon 
Fisheries of the United Kingdom,” drawn up by a Select 
Committee of the House of Commons, in 1824 and 1825, one 
finds a considerable amount of evidence as to what par were 
considered in those days. One witness (G. Lirrue. page 113,) 
on being asked if he had ever known them found in any river 
where there were no salmon? replied, “ I do not know that I 
have, I never took particular notice as to them, but I consider 
them a fresh water fish, unconnected with our salmon fisheries 
altogether.” But on being asked at what season of the year 
does the salmon fry begin to go down to the sea? he at once 
