46 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SALMON. 



larger than any that had as yet been taken out of 

 the pond, and the smoult scales fuller grown 

 we have no doubt but it was an early smoult 

 from some of the higher tributaries but the 

 parr marks were rather more visible than on the 

 pond fish. The back was of a dark blue colour, 

 and the pectoral fins were getting black, while 

 the backs of the pond fish and those in the tub 

 were yellowish brown. It was suggested that 

 this brown colour of the back might be owing to 

 the fish assuming the colour of the tub, and Mr 

 Shaw showed that it was so, by putting some of 

 the fish into dark and light-coloured vessels, and 

 it was seen that the fish in a very short time 

 became dark or light according to the colour of 

 the vessel; but the pectoral fins were still dark 

 in the large specimen, while the others were 

 yellow. Messrs. Shaw and Wilson, after an in- 

 teresting discussion, came to the conclusion, which 

 the Committee adopted, that the fry in the pond 

 were still parrs, and would not migrate until next 

 spring. We expressed our conviction that the 

 Committee would find that they were mistaken, 

 judging from previous experiments which we had 

 made, and knowing well the mind of our friend 

 Mr Young on this subject, we asked Mr Shaw, 



