SECRETS OF THE SALMON 



cleaned. This is because there is no pepsin se- 

 creted in the salmon's stomach in fresh water, and 

 the stomach will not digest itself after death, as is 

 the case with other fish. This is the cause of 

 ordinary fish getting soft rapidly. If the salmon 

 is cleaned, the cutting of the flesh is sure to infect 

 the surfaces with putrefactive bacteria, whereas 

 if left alone it is practically sterile. 



In our Eastern rivers parr live until August of 

 the second summer, when they gradually make 

 their way to the sea. In September there are 

 very few left. Just before they go to the sea they 

 change their parr markings for the silvery appear- 

 ance of the adult salmon, and at the same time the 

 tail becomes more forked. They are then called 

 smolt. I have only seen a few smolt in my own 

 experience, probably because later in the year I 

 have not often been near the sea. This year in 

 July the upper waters of the Restigouche were 

 full of large parr about four to five inches long. 

 When I returned in August the river was almost 

 free of them, and I only saw a few. They were 

 working their way to the sea, and probably took 

 on the smolt stage near tide-water, as there were 

 no smolt in the upper waters. In Scotland parr 

 remain in the rivers over two winters and go out 



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