THE SALMON. 173 



too strong for the unrelaxing pupil of its lustrous eye. At this stage of 

 its existence it is an especially toothsome morsel for the larvse of various 

 insects, as well as crayfish and the pulex gammari. The alevin eats 

 nothing until the umbilical sac is absorbed, when it sets to and revenges 

 itself on its former enemies to an earnest tune. 



I now take up another phase of the existence of Salmo salar, viz., its 

 parrhood. The young salmon, after it has found its appetite as indicated 

 above, becomes remarkably voracious, and if he be artificially fed, is in 

 great danger of dying from gluttony. I have known little gourmands of 

 scarcely an inch and a half long eat the tiny blood worm or rather gorge 

 it until the worms have ruptured the caecum of the fish and so killed it. 

 This may sound comical, and so it is, but not for the fish. In the natural 

 state the food consists of all the microscopic Crustacea and tiny annelids 

 abounding in rivers, and on it, if no enemy assail, they will rapidly gain 

 size. In confinement fish roe, liver grated, chopped worms, and even 

 biscuit are given, I think in many cases improperly, and to the generation 

 of disease. I have ever been an advocate of natural food, with which any 

 microscopist can supply his fish at the time when they chiefly require it, 

 viz., just after arriving at the dignity of parrhood. The parr is always 

 marked with spots down the lateral line, and is mottled on the back some" 

 what like a trout, but with the " finger marks " well developed, until it 

 assumes the smolt or sea dress, when it becomes silvery like its pro- 

 genitors. 



Before passing on in the history of the fish, I would, for the benefit of 

 those who care to pursue artificial fish culture, either as a recreation 

 or for profit, give a few remarks on the management of the young fish, 

 from the time of hatching to the time for their turning in to do for them- 

 selves. First of all a copious supply of oxygenated water is necessary as 

 a primal condition, and next cleanliness, and finally moderate feeding. It 

 is highly necessary that the oxygenated water be not too saturated with 

 air, or a curious and disastrous exigency will ensue. I well remember 

 having enormous trouble with a lot of young fish because of the excess of 

 air in the water supplied them. It was in this wise. The ordinary supply 

 in my tank being thought inadequate, I had a pipe put on in communica- 

 tion with a large cistern of filtered Thames water used for drinking 

 purposes. The force with which the water rushed from its outlet into my 

 tank amongst the young fish impregnated it with additional air, and in a 

 few hours I was alarmed by the ludicrous sight of about 3,000 young 

 fish floating alive, and belly upwards, on the surface. Their bellies pre- 

 sented the appearance of bladders, and they were evidently helplessly 

 suffering with flatulence to a most alarming degree. Cut off the cause 

 and the effect will cease is an old respectable proverb, and this I did, and 



