SALMON A MONTH OLD. 223 



old. Then the fringe or edge of fins that is seen 

 in the misshapen fry of a day old, is half worn 

 away, except at those parts where the fins are to 

 be. The sac or bag at the belly is more than half 

 consumed, and the body of the fish is lengthened 

 and getting more into fish-form. Still its shape 

 is imperfect. Of this period, Mr. Young re- 

 marks in his pamphlet, " The young fish, though 

 they are getting into a natural form, have now 

 arrived at a very critical period of their exist- 

 ence ; for the time has now come when the food 

 provided for them by nature becomes quite ex- 

 hausted, and nothing remains for each but to be 

 its own provider in the best way it can. An 

 entire change of being now takes place, and they 

 must leave their former sinecure habits and work 

 for their living ; but, from the sudden transition 

 from the one state to the other, we find that 

 numerous deaths take place amongst them. The 

 survivors very soon become familiar w^ith their 

 new state of existence, and providing meat seems 

 an amusement, as well as a duty ; for we see them 

 leaping for sport, as well as greedily catching 

 small objects in the water. After this they im- 

 prove in appearance very fast ; for at the age of 

 two months, we have a perfectly formed fish — the 

 transverse bars visible, and the fins distinct." 



