Transactions 31 
But I am prepared to assert that they do feed, and feed as 
voraciously as any other members of their family. Passing over 
the early stages of incubation, we arrive at the parr stage in the 
salmon’s life. The parr, by-and-bye, puts on the livery of the 
smolt, and at that stage passes down to the sea. It loses the 
peculiar finger-marks with which we are familiar, and the general - 
trout-like appearance, and becomes very silvery. It used to be sup- 
posed that this silvery appearance was caused by growth of scales ; 
but that was not so. It is caused by asilvery pigment on the under 
side of the scales and opercoles, which are scaleless. An interesting 
experiment was tried some years ago. A number of salmon 
parr were taken from the river—I hope there are no water-bailiffs 
present—and placed in an aquarium tank. In due course about 
half of them developed into the smolt stage. The others did not. 
Sea water was added, the supply of fresh water being previously 
cut off. What was the consequence? Some people affirm that 
parr will not live as such in salt water. These not only lived, 
but very rapidly assumed the smolt stage after the salt water 
was added. Now we know that parr feed. Those of you who | 
are anglers know that they would take almost any bait. They 
have been found gorged with shell fish, with the larvee of aquatic 
insects, &c. Smolts also feed voraciously. They would even 
spoil the sport in a river, taking the bait so readily as to become 
a nuisance. Could it be supposed that the salmon in its early 
stage, during which it does not make any great growth, but feeds 
voraciously, after going to the sea take either no food or very 
little ; notwithstanding that the smolt which had left the river 
perhaps a quarter of a pound in weight returned as a grilse 
weighing six or seven pounds? It seems unreasonable. It was 
_ found among domesticated fish that at certain seasons of the year 
they feed voraciously, and at other times very little; but at all 
times more or less food was taken. At Stormontfield some years 
ago, it was noticed on one occasion that the smolts which were to 
be let down to the sea were of a very much larger size than they 
had been in previous years. It was found, on inquiry, that the 
ponds had become charged with minute shell fish, and the liberal 
diet they afforded accounted for the extra growth of the smolts. 
Some smolts returned from the sea as grilse in two or three 
months ; others in fourteen or fifteen months. Those which 
returned in two or three months had, taking a very low estimate, 
attained a weight of some three pounds ; but those which remained 
