74 SALMONID.E. 



those which run to and frOj from the fresh to the salt; I greatly 

 doubt it; and, with Mr. Yarrel, I think it more than a dubious 

 point, whether the fish, so stopped from migration to the sea, 

 will ever acquire power to reproduce their own species. 



It is a singular fact, that the Salmon propagates its kind 

 before it is adult — the Grilse, on its return from the sea in its 

 second year, having the roe and milt far advanced, and spawn- 

 ing that same autumn. The ova in the Grilse differ not in size, 

 but in number only, from those of the adult Salmon of a year's 

 later growth, and there is no known difference between the fry 

 of the young and full-grown fish. 



It Avill prove to be the fact, I have no doubt, that in this 

 country these fish spawn earher in the season than in Great 

 Britain ; indeed, they must do so, for in the month of January 

 the head-waters of the rivers which they frequent are masses 

 of solid ice ; and I presume it will be found that the ova 

 are deposited and covered with gravel in the mouths of 

 September and October, and in all probability that the parent 

 fish return to the salt-water the same autumn, or early in the 

 winter, before the closing of the rivers. This is, however, little 

 important. 



I now come to the second point, proved beyond all doubt by 

 these experiments, viz., that the Salmon, in the first stage of 

 his existence, is, to all intents and purposes, what is commonly 

 called a Parr. 



Most, if not all of my readers, are probably aware that, in 

 particular streams of Great Britain, there has been found inva- 

 riably a small fish of the Salmon family, never attaining to any 

 considerable size or weight, and distinguishable from Trout only 



