AUGUST, 1882. 205 



rest in the early morning, the heat of the day and the 

 city sending it forth on its fruitless errand among the 

 flowers of the ladies bonnets. It could not have come 

 in embryo, as the dragon-fly is matured as it issues from 

 the water, and so in all likelihood it had simply passed 

 the night in some vegetable, to find itself in a new world 

 in the morning. A friend informs us of a very fine speci- 

 men having been captured in Buchanan Street some years 

 ago. 



We lately observed a decision that has impressed us 

 with a high opinion of the general knowledge of natural 

 history in the North. A man caught inflagrante delictu 

 with a poached salmon in his possession, declared he 

 did not know a trout from a salmon, and thereupon drew 

 down upon his head the stern rebuke of the judge, 

 promptly followed by his committal. We should much 

 like to know how many in Glasgow can tell a salmon 

 when they see it ; ay ! even how many in the country 

 can tell a salmon from a grilse and a sea trout, all, say, 

 about 7lb. weight ? And then, if by salmon the speaker 

 talks comprehensively of all the salmonidae^ we could 

 confront him with members of the family only to be 

 acknowledged by a thorough specialist. We have no 

 doubt that roughly speaking the judge was right, but it 

 is also quite possible that, technically speaking, the 

 poacher was also right, and that he could not tell a trout 

 from a salmon. What relationship is there between a 

 brown trout and a sea trout ? and if brown trout took to 

 salt water, would they become silvered like the parr when 

 it becomes a smelt ? Many such questions that would 

 once have appeared absurd are now put most seriously 

 by men well qualified to judge whether they are serious 

 or no. We have taken brown trout in very brackish 



