SMELT. 219 



remember to have seen before : they were exceed- 

 ingly plump, and full of spawn, which had not yet 

 been shed. 



These fish, when fresh, have a peculiar perfume- 

 like odour (whence their English name of smelt), 

 which affects the hand for a considerable time after 

 handling them, and which is not to be got rid of 

 without repeated washings. 



March 21, 1826. Smelts received to-day, as in 

 former years, about this time, from the Hundred- 

 foot River, but earlier than usual.* I am told, how- 

 ever, that they are sometimes taken there as early as 

 the 10th of this month. The people continue fishing 

 for them till about the 15th of April. Many of 

 those sent us on this occasion had their gills much 

 infested by small worms. These worms were of a 

 whitish colour, about three inches in length, some- 

 what filiform in the middle, and about half the thick- 

 ness of a small crow-quill, slightly tapering towards 

 each extremity. The condition of the fish did not 

 appear to be impaired by the presence of these pa- 

 rasites, f 



he thought that distance from the estuary, in this instance, might 

 account perhaps for their late appearance. 



* Persons resident near rivers which are annually visited by 

 these fish, or any other species of the Salmonida, would do well to 

 notice the exact periods of their ascent and descent, from and to 

 the sea, in connection with the character of the season. Both, no 

 doubt, vary much in different years, according as the weather may 

 be more or less seasonable. This is a point which will be further 

 adverted to in a subsequent part of this work. 



f Dr. Bellingham, well known for his researches on the entozoa, 

 and to whom I lately sent specimens of this parasite, was kind 



L 2 



