SALMON 39 



position, that they are constantly descending to the 

 sea ; and it is only a supposition, as I have no proof 

 of the fact, and have never heard it suggested by 

 any one. But if I should be right, it will clear up 

 some things that cannot well be accounted for in 

 any other mode. For instance, in the month of 

 March, 1841, Mr. Yarrell informs me that he found 

 a young Salmon in the London market, and which 

 he has preserved in spirits, measuring only fifteen 

 inches long, and weighing only fifteen ounces. And 

 again, another the following April, sixteen and a 

 half inches long, weighing twenty-four ounces. Now, 

 one of these appeared two months and the other a 

 month before the usual time when the fry congre- 

 gate. According to the received doctrine, therefore, 

 these animals were two of the migration of the 

 preceding year ; and thus it must necessarily follow 

 that they remained in salt water, one ten and the 

 other eleven months, with an increase of growth so 

 small as to be irreconcilable with the proof we have 

 of the growth of the Gilse and Salmon during their 

 residence in salt water.* 



* Though the fact that parr are the young of salmon is now 

 generally accepted knowledge, I fancy there are still rivers in 

 remote districts where the old heresy flourishes. Certainly it 

 flourished not so very many years ago in some parts of Wales. 

 There has, of course, been later confirmation and amplification of 

 the observations recorded by Scrope. And further methods of dis- 

 tinguishing the little salmon have been found, notably the scale 

 formula and the mouth test. Curiously enough the drawing of the 

 smolts given by Scrope, which is in many respects the best thing of 

 its kind ever done, is faulty in one important detail, the size of the 

 mouth. For the significance of the scale formula and the mouth, 

 cf. Appendix. The story told by the scales under the microscope 

 has been discussed in the Introduction. (Eo.) 



