68 LIFE AND HISTORY OF A SALMON. 



them as identical, and to preserve them with the utmost 

 care. Considering that thirty years have elapsed since 

 Mr Shaw demonstrated that what is commonly called 

 parr is in truth a young salmon, it is marvellous that 

 the proprietors of salmon rivers should so carefully 

 watch over the young salmon during the two months 

 when they chiefly assume their silver coats, but permit 

 for ten months in the year the unrestricted slaughter 

 of parrs, which, notwithstanding the existence of the 

 very similar parr-trout, ought assuredly to be considered 

 as the young of the true salmon. If our national custom 

 was to commit infanticide, without remorse or legal 

 hindrance, until our younkers were approaching puberty, 

 and if the law were to denounce as murder the slaying 

 of youth or maiden of about the age of fifteen, we should 

 have a parallel to the piscatorial folly of permitting the 

 slaughter of parr, but legislating stringently against the 

 capture of smolts. 



A very interesting controversy is still going on as to 

 the precise time when the parr assumes the silvery coat- 

 ing of the smolt, and makes its first migration to the sea. 

 Mr Shaw, we believe, continued to hold the opinion that 

 this, with a few exceptions, does. not occur till the conclu- 

 sion of the second year. On this important point he 

 differed with Mr Young, and also with Mr G-otlieb Boc- 

 cius, who, after ample experience, speaks thus posi- 

 tively : " When a smolt is a year old, nature begins to 

 cover it with a second lamination under the first scales, 

 and thus covers the bars. It then shows a desire to 

 migrate ; but the migration to the sea cannot take place 

 until the second formation of the scales has been per- 

 fected, by means of which new envelope its body is 

 protected from the increased density upon the removal 

 from fresh water to salt. It has been fully ascertained, 

 that when fry without the second lamination, or under 

 a year old, have been placed in salt water, they imme- 

 diately die." 



The determination of the time when the parr assumes 



