THE SCHOODICS. 101 



The Schoodics are the home of the "Land-locked sal- 

 mon." If it be that, this peculiar species of delicious and 

 gamey fish exists in other waters, it is nevertheless identified 

 always with the charming lakes and streams designated as 

 above. There has been much controversy among ichthy- 

 ologists in determining its status in the Salmo family. 

 It so nearly resembles the Salmo salar in its appearance and 

 habits that it is difiicult to decide whether they are a distinct 

 species of fish, or merely their degenerated progeny, by 

 some means imprisoned in the lakes and debarred from ac- 

 cess to the ocean. In size and general external appear- 

 ance it resembles the grilse more completely than the ma- 

 ture salmon. The scales of both are ellipsoid. As respects 

 the skeleton, the texture and color of the flesh, the location 

 and number of the fins, and the number of fin-rays, they 

 are identical, varying only in the number of anal and dor- 

 sal fin-rays, to which ichthyologists pay little or no attention, 

 as they are found not to be constant in the true salmon. 

 There is, however, a certain golden sheen that illimiines the 

 land-locked salmon when first caught, which does not char- 

 acterize his congener. Both species spawn about the same 

 time in the shallows of fresh-water streams. The period of 

 incubation is the same. The color of the fry is about the 

 same, that of the true salmon being perhaps a trifle darker. 

 The chief difference is in size, and it is not unreasonable to 

 attribute this to difierence in feeding-grounds, those of the 

 sea afibrding more abundant nourishing food. Agassiz at 

 first decided that it was a degenerated salmon, but after- 

 wards saw reason to change his opinion, in consequence of 

 inspecting the " Loch Lomond " trout of New Brunswick, 

 which are the exact counterparts of the St. Croix salmon m 

 size and general external appearance. William H. Venning, 

 Esq., inspector of fisheries for the Provinces of Nova Scotia 

 and New Brunswick — a gentleman exceedingly well versed 

 in the natural history of the salmon, and selected for his 

 official position by reason of his thorough qualifications — has 



