50 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON FISHING. 



brood which I have now had an opportunity of watch- 

 ing continuously for a length of time, that is, for more 

 than the entire period which was required to elapse 

 from their exclusion from the egg, until their assump- 

 tion of those characters which distinguish the un- 

 doubted Salmon fry." 



Mr. Shaw then proceeds to describe the size and ap- 

 pearance of the Salmon fry at different periods of their 

 age, accompanied with several very accurate and well- 

 executed engravings illustrating the text. " One of 

 these is a specimen two years old, when it has assumed 

 its migratory dress, and measures about six inches and 

 a half, being about the average size of the brood." 

 Two years, — mark this, — and only six inches and a half 

 long ! It then goes to the sea the first floods in May, 

 and returns in two or three months, as it may happen, 

 when it is called a Gilse, and is increased to the size of 

 from four to seven pounds, and indeed very consider- 

 ably more, being larger or smaller in proportion to the 

 time it has remained in the sea. A second visit to the 

 sea gives it another increase, when it returns to the 

 river as a Salmon. This appears so wonderful and ex- 

 traordinary a departure from the general laws of 

 nature, that it is no wonder that the most scientific 

 men have been misled. 



But if the Salmon fry attain but to such pigmy 

 growth in fresh water, still less is that element favour- 

 able to adult Salmon, which, as I have elsewhere 

 observed, fall off in size and condition from the moment 

 they enter a river for the purpose of spawning. When 

 they have spawned, however, they certainly do mend 



