16 



8tli day of December, and kept them without change of 

 water until the 19th day of December. During this time, 

 although the fish lived with little or no mortality, they refused 

 to take their ordinary food ; but on being removed from the 

 salt water, in twenty-four hours commenced feeding with their 

 usual appetite. During their life in salt water they became 

 somewhat thin, most probably from their want of food, but in 

 other respects no change was apparent in their condition. 

 This experiment has proved that salt water is not so fatal to 

 them when young as has been supposed ; we are not satisfied 

 however, as to the effect the salt water w^ould have, under 

 ordinary circumstances, on their feeding. In the salt water of 

 the Bay. if these fish were at large, they would find a constant 

 motion and circulation ; much more air absorbed than when 

 the water lay still in the nursery tanks. During the time they 

 were in the salt water it was exceedingly cold in tlie Hatching 

 House. The salt water reached a very low temperature, and 

 very much lower than the spring Avater, to which they were 

 transferred. 



In nature, instead of the artificially prepared food, (finely 

 chopped liver) they would find an abundant supply of living 

 animalculae and small criistacea. 



We were somewhat surprised to find the Salmon live for 

 any length of time in salt water when so young, as in "Ber- 

 trams' Harvest of the Sea," we find the following statement : 



"Mr. William Brown, in bis painstaking account of tlie natural Idstory 

 of the Salmon, also bears testimony on tiiis part of the Salmon question :-r 

 ' Until the parr takes on the smolt scales it shows no inclination to leave tbe 

 fresh water. It cannot live in salt water. This fact was put to the test at 

 the ponds, by placing some parrs in the salt water — the water being brought 

 fresh from the Sea at Carnoustie ; and immediatelj^ on being immersed in it 

 the fish appeared distressed, the fins standing BtilT out, the parr-marks 

 becoming a brilliant ultramarine color, and the belly and sides of a bright 

 orange. The water was often renewed, but they all died, the last that died 

 living nearly five hours. After being an hour in the salt water they appeared 

 very weak and unable to rise from the bottom of the vessel which contained 

 them, the body of the fish swelhng to a considerable extent. This change 

 of color in the fish could not be attributed to the color of the vessel which 

 held ihem, for on being taken out they still retained the same brilliant color.' " 



