The Natural History of the Salmon. 6 1 



impregnating properties of the seminal fluid of a 

 much older and larger fish. That this Parr is not 

 a distinct species — as has been again maintained by 

 Couch — is further proved by the circumstance that 

 these sexually mature parr are absolutely identical 

 in their zoological character with the immature 

 Parr, which are undoubtedly young Salmon, and 

 that no Parr has ever been found with mature ova. 

 But whether these Parr produce normal Salmon 

 impregnating the ova of female salmon, or mingle 

 with the river trout, or whether they continue to 

 grow and propagate their species as fully developed 

 Salmon, are questions which remain to be answered. 

 We may only add that, as far as we know, barren 

 old Salmon are extremely scarce.^ 



*' 3. The question whether any of the migratory 

 species can be ];etained by artificial means in fresh 

 water, and finally accommodate themselves to a 

 permanent sojourn therein, must be negatived for 

 the present. Several instances of successful experi- 

 ments made for this purpose have been brought 

 forward ; but all these accounts are open to serious 

 doubts, inasmuch as they do not afford us sufficient 

 proof that the young fish introduced into ponds 



^ Dr. Francis Day is at the present time making some 

 ! most interesting experiments on Hybridism of the Salmonidae, 

 and particularly as to the fecundity of the milt of the Parr in 

 i producing healthy offspring. (H.) 



