OF THE SALMON. 



SALMON FRY. 



When the young fish are confined in the shell of 

 the egg, they lie in a circular form round the yolk, 

 and they burst the shell by their many turnings to 

 get straight ; and the first opening in the shell gene- 

 rally takes place at the middle of the fish, or opposite 

 the back fin, and, like unstringing a bow, the tail 

 starts out at the rent, whereby the fish becomes 

 straight, and nothing remains in the shell but the 

 head and conical bag, which only remains covered for 

 a short time, for the motion of the fish and the water 

 now getting into the shell soon throws off this last 

 encumbrance, and the fish appears free and at large 

 in the pool. In the first moments of their existence 

 in the water, we see their fear of danger visible, for 

 from the least shadow or movement they seek shelter 

 below the stones and gravel, and only return to the 

 open water when all danger disappears. 



On their exclusion from the egg they are generally 

 about three-fourths of an inch long ; some are even 

 less than that, and a few among them are larger. 

 The provision bag that is fixed to the belly is fully 

 one-fourth of an inch, the head round and large for 

 the body ; and on the whole, at a little distance, they 

 look more like a tadpole than a fish. A fringe of fin 

 round the body, resembling the tail half of an eel, is 

 all the fins that are discernible at this time. As the 

 fish advances in size, the bag gradually decreases, and 

 at the age of five weeks the bag is wholly consumed ; 

 and the fringe-looking fin that surrounded them from 

 the back round to the central fins has also gradually 

 worn away, and left the proper fins in their proper 

 places. The fry now assume a more fish-like ap- 



E 4 



