I 2 Guide to the British Fresh- Water Fishes 



emarginate than in Trout of the same size, although in old fish it 

 may he truncate. 



The Salmon is found on both sides of the North Atlantic, 

 ranging from Hudson Bay, Greenland, Iceland and Northern 

 Europe to Cape Cod and the Bay of Biscay. The size attained 

 varies according to locality ; a fish of 84 lbs. has been recorded 

 from the Tay. Salmon feed on Herrings, Mackerel, Sand-eels, 

 etc., and ascend rivers only for breeding purposes. Spawning 

 takes place in the autumn or winter, the female fish scooping out 

 a trougli in which she deposits the eggs and then covers them 



Fnjui a photoijraiM ['"J J- -4- Hutton, E.iij. 



Fig. 5.— Salmon Parr (lower figure) and young Trout (upper figure). 



Note the shorter maxillary, fewer spots, more slender tail and more deeply 

 notched caudal fin of the Salmon. 



with gravel. The young fish live in fresh water and are known 

 as Parr (fig. 5). When they are about 6 inches long and usually 

 two years old the PaiT lose the large bluish spots or bars on the 

 sides called Parr-marks, become very silvery, and are now termed 

 Smolts. The Smolts migrate to the sea, usually in May, and 

 grow very rapidly ; they may return to fresh water after about a 

 year in the sea as Grilse, weighing from Ih to 10 lbs., or may 

 defer their i-eturn until they have spent two winters in the sea. 

 Such fish, running up in the spring, are known as " Small Spring 

 Salmon." But Salmon may pass several years in the sea and 

 attain a large size before entering fresh water to breed. It 



