THE SALMON 185 
its existence, but within the limits of a single year. Beginning 
ab ovo, we may trace this noblest of British fishes as a tiny 
The Alevin “alevin,” or larva, with the relatively large umbilical 
Stagee sac attached to the throat or breast behind the 
gill-opening. For a period varying from three weeks to two 
months, the alevin draws its nourishment from this sac ; by 
the time this is absorbed the fish is generally about an inch 
and a quarter long. 
It now enters upon life as a ‘‘parr,’’ and assumes a very 
lively colouring. The back becomes dark olive with bronzy 
reflections, and this colour extends down the sides, below the 
The Parr lateral line, in nine or ten vertical bars, arranged upon 
stagee a paler ground of olive green shot with golden, 
coppery, and silvern hues, and liberally spangled with spots, 
some black, some scarlet. The lower parts are pearly white ; 
the iris golden ; the pectoral, ventral, and anal fins are tinged 
with orange-brown ; the dorsal fins are grey, the first dorsal 
being dotted with black. The chief marks distinguishing a 
salmon parr from a river-trout at the same stage are : first, 
the head is shorter and rounder; second, the salmon or 
salmon-trout parr generally has two or three more lateral 
bars than the river trout parr; and third, the adipose fin of 
the river-trout parr is more or less deeply tinged with red, 
while that of the salmon parr is a light slate colour. The 
last-mentioned distinction cannot be relied upon in the case 
of the parr of migratory trout, which often have a ruddy or 
orange colour in the adipose fin. 
It scarcely strengthens one’s faith in the acumen of 
classifying authorities that the parr was, until very recently, 
unanimously regarded by them as a distinct adult species. 
Willughby in 1686, Ray in 1713, Pennant in 1776, Turton 
in 1807, Yarrell in 1836, even Couch in his edition of 1877, 
adduce cogent reasons, founded upon organic differences, for 
classing the samlet (Sa/mo salmulus) as a separate species, the 
smallest of British Salmonide. It is not often, perhaps, that 
