SOME FISHES OF THE DISTRICT. Ii3 
It is of a bright silvery brown tinge with brilliant red spots, 
and peculiar marks on its sides like finger marks. These 
marks are characteristic of the ‘‘ par”’ stage of all the British 
salmonidz, and are known as ‘‘par bands.’”’ It remains a 
‘‘par”’ for about twelve months, and, during this time, feeds 
on flies and other small insects. At the end of its first year, 
another change takes place: the ‘‘par bands” disappear, it 
puts on a bright silvery coat, and becomes what is known 
as a ‘‘smolt,’”’ and is ready for its first journey down to the 
sea. As soon as the “smolts” are ready to start, they 
collect together into shoals, and set off on their journey. 
Wherever the water runs fast, they go down stream tail 
first, which seems a curious mode of progression ; but really 
they allow the stream to carry them down, remaining sus- 
pended in the water, and travelling somewhat slower than 
the stream. It is, perhaps, the middle of May when the sea 
is reached, and now for a period our little friend is lost sight 
of. Where it goes to, nobody knows, and what it feeds on is 
merely a matter of conjecture; but it must feed somewhere, 
on something, and ina most voracious manner, for although 
in May it entered the sea a little chap of about a couple 
of ounces, it comes back to the river in August a respect- 
able young salmon of four or five pounds weight, having in 
the short space of three months increased about twenty-five 
times in bulk, and is now known as a ‘“‘grilse.”’ At the end 
of the spawning season it again goes down into the sea, and 
on its return to the river next year, the four or five pound 
grilse has become a salmon of ten or twelve pounds, another 
remarkable increase in weight. Many efforts have been made 
to clear up the mystery of its’ food when in the sea, but the 
great difficulty that stands in the way is the strange fact that 
it is an exceedingly rare occurrence for any food to be found 
in its stomach, but occasionally, one or two herrings have 
been found, and it is probable that it feeds largely on these 
and kindred fishes. 
