64 SCIENCE SKETCHES. 



* 



internally. Prior to entering fresh waters these fish are 

 of a brilliant steel blue along the back, which becomes 

 changed to a muddy tinge when they enter rivers. After 

 these fish have passed into the fresh waters for the pur- 

 pose of breeding, numerous orange streaks appear in the 

 cheeks of the male, and also spots or even marks of the 

 same, and likewise of a red color, on the body. It is 

 now termed a ' red-fish.' The female, however, is dark in 

 color, and known as l black-fish.' * Smolts ' (young river 

 fish) are bluish along the upper half of the body, silvery 

 along the sides, due to a layer of silvery scales being 

 formed over the trout-like colors, while they have darker 

 fins than the yearling * pink ; ' but similar bands and spots, 

 which can be seen (as in the parr) if the example be held 

 in certain positions of light. * Parr ' (fishes of the year) 

 have two or three black spots only on the opercle, and 

 black spots and also orange ones along the upper half of 

 the body, and no dark ones below the lateral line, al- 

 though there may be orange ones which can be seen in 

 its course. Along the side of the body are a series (12 to 

 15) of transverse bluish bands, wider than the ground 

 color and crossing the lateral line, while in the upper half 

 of the body the darker color of the back forms an arch 

 over each of these bands, a row of spots along the middle 

 of the rayed dorsal fin and the adipose orange-tipped." 



The dusky cross-shades found in the young sal- 

 mon or parr are characteristic of the young of 

 nearly all the Salmonidce. 



The salmon of the Atlantic is, as already stated, 

 an anadromous fish, spending most of its life in the 

 sea, and entering the streams in the fall for the 

 purpose of reproduction. The time of running 

 varies much in different streams and also in dif- 

 ferent countries. As with the Pacific species, these 



