THE SALMON AND ITS MIGRATIONS 179 



scales on the sides and under parts are as bright 

 as polished silver. A few days in fresh water 

 soon effects a great change. The fish begin to lose 

 flesh and color, first becoming reddish on the sides 

 and under parts. As time goes on this discolora- 

 tion continues, and towards the end of October 

 they are of a dark, slaty color, nearly all over. The 

 body of the fish becomes thin and rounded, giving 

 it an eel-like appearance; the fins exhibit abnor- 

 mal development and stand out prominently from 

 the body. The head and the jaws of the fish un- 

 dergo the same transformation and the males 

 often develop a snout like a pig with an immense 

 hook on the under jaw. So great is the change in 

 the shape and general appearance of the fish that 

 a person not familiar with the facts would take 

 it at this time to be of an entirely different species 

 from the freshly run salmon. Specimens were 

 once brought up, taken in Lake Waschecootai, 

 Labrador, and described, by a well informed Gov- 

 ernment official, as a new species. 



Some years ago I happened to be in Quebec 

 about the middle of November. I had taken up 

 with me some specimens of birds for the Laval 

 Museum. I went to see the curator, and after 

 our business was concluded, he said, "I am very 

 glad to see you, I have a new species of fish to 

 show you, it was found dead some few days ago 

 at St. Paul's Bay. I have shown it to several of 

 the professors here and even to Dr. Ahern and 



