FISHES. 239 



Salmon to the upper districts of the Severn and like 

 rivers, for the purpose of spawning, occurs during the 

 first floods of winter, and on into December ; but a few 

 gravid fish continue to run through the early months of 

 the next year. As therefore mature Salmon arrive at the 

 higher reaches of rivers at different periods, some are 

 later than others in spawning, and the fry are con- 

 sequently later in hatching out. The Rev. W. Houghton 

 says, " Parr hatched in February, 1878, may be ready to 

 take their journey seawards on May or June, 1879. It 

 has also been shown that a large number remain in the 

 river till they are a little over two years old ; a parr 

 hatched in February, 1868, may remain in the fresh 

 water till May or June, 1870, and I suspect that this is 

 usually the case." The principal migration of parr (or 

 samlets), to the sea occurs about April. The Parr, 

 putting on a silvery dress, as a sign that its time for 

 seeking salt water has arrived, is called a Smolt. When 

 captured at this time the old scales come off in masses 

 very easily. The fish will not undertake their journey 

 to the sea until the state of the water is favourable, 

 and they are, moreover, in a fit condition to depart. 

 It is held by many ichthyologists that if they are 

 not ready for migration in the spring they remain 

 in the river during summer, and it is, in all probability, 

 to these stragglers that the name of Gravel Last- 

 Spring, above referred to, is given. The appellation 

 may be accounted for by the fact that the fish are the 

 last to spring from, or leave, the gravelly spawning beds. 

 There is a remote possibility that the " Gravel Last- 

 Spring" are the fry of Sea Trout ; but this is not very 

 likely to be the case. 



