GEN. SALMO. THE PARR. 125 



can do little more than state the results, referring to 

 his published account for the details.* 



In order to determine what became of Parr, 

 Mr. Shaw repeatedly placed them in a pond, pro- 

 perly constructed, and found that they invariably 

 assumed the appearance of Salmon Smelts, after a 

 certain time. Thus, several enclosed on llth July 

 1833, had become Smelts in 17th May 1834. 

 Twelve caught in March J835, which were of 

 large sizes, that is about six inches long, were 

 transmuted into Smelts by the end of April, of the 

 same year. " I had thus no doubt," says he " that 

 the larger Parrs observable in rivers in autumn, 

 winter, and early spring, were in reality the actual 

 Salmon fry advancing to the conclusion of their 

 second year, and that the smaller summer Parrs 

 (called in Dumfries-shire May Parrs) were the same 

 species, but younger as individuals, and only entering 

 upon their second year." "With the view of detect- 

 ing the Parr in its earlier state, which had not pre- 

 viously been determined, a few dozen of small 

 active fish, about an inch long, were taken by a 

 gauze-net from a river where Salmon had spawned 

 the preceding year. After being kept in a pond till 

 they were more than a year old, they were found to 

 be three inches and a half long, and to correspond in 

 every respect with Parr of the same age in the river. 

 In another year these also were transmuted into 



* Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, vol. xiv. 

 p. 547. Mr. Shaw's earliest notice on the subject appeared in 

 the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, vol. xxiv. p. 1 65. 



