562 



THE OCEAN WORLD. 



the body long, the muzzle roundish, but more so in the ma 7 e than in 

 the female, the upper jaw provided with a fossette, into which the 

 point of the lower jaw penetrates ; the hack is a slaty Hue, the sides 

 and lower part of the hody of a silvery diaphanous white, with great 

 hlack spots scattered round the upper part of the head, round the 

 upper edge of the eye, and over the operculum or covering. Some 

 brownish irregular spots, variable both in form and size, are sprinkled 

 over the sides. In other respects their colours are subject to variations 

 according to circumstances. Before assuming the characters here 

 indicated, however, the salmon has passed through three stages, each 

 of which is marked by peculiarities worthy of being noted. The 

 young salmon (Fig. 378) is greyish and striped with black. At the 



Fig. 378. The Young Salmon. 



end of a year it has acquired a fine metallic hue. " The other parts," 

 raccording to Mr. Blanchard, " are of a dazzling steel-blue ; eight or 

 ten large spots of the same brilliant blue cover it as with a silvery 

 mantle on the sides; between these spots a reddish, or, rather, 

 brightish-rusty iron colour prevails ; a black spot is usually observable 

 in the middle of the operculum. The belly is of a fine diaphanous 

 blue in the parr "(Fig. 379). 



Dr. Bertram gives a very clear and intelligible account of the early 

 days of the salmon, which was at one time veiled in mystery. " The 

 spawn, deposited by the parent fish in October, November, and 

 December, lies in the river till about April or May, when it quickens 

 into life. I have already described the changes apparent in the 



