PARR SAID TO BE FOUND WIIEKE THERE AEE NO SALMON. 97 



The fry, from the age of two months (that is the time they 

 are fully formed with fins, complete) to the age of ten months, 

 have transverse bars, or, as they are sometimes called, finger 

 marks, very much resembling the cross-bars 011 a small full- 

 grown fish, called the parr ; and for many years the fry and the parr 

 were confounded with one another. The greatest distinguishing 

 mark between the two is, that the parr has fins in proportion to 

 the fish, while the salmon-fry have fins uncommonly large for 

 the size of the fish. The parr is to be found in salmon rivers, 

 and also in rivers where salmon have no access. They were to 

 be seen in hundreds in the rivers that run into and feed Loch- 

 shin, previous to the time that we planted these rivers with 

 salmon, and until we did that there was never a salmon seen in 

 these rivers, but now they go there yearly, and the salmon-fry 

 and parr are both to be seen in the rivers ; there is now only 

 the little river Grudy that runs into the river Shin, where 

 salmon have never passed a fall on that river, and where parr are 

 yet above that fall. At some time, when the river gets low, I 

 will get a few for you, as I am also to do for Mr. Yarrel, but am 

 sure you can easily get them in any English river with a small 

 fly, as you are perfectly acquainted with them, when I hope you 

 will write something on the subject. 



I have not been in any correspondence with the Royal Society 

 for a long time. You are aware that they expressed the two 

 year old opinion, and that I have reduced that system to nothing, 

 therefore such clever men do not like to be refuted, but it 

 would be a public benefit were you to bring the subject before 

 some naturalists there. You will see a full set of artificial- 

 bred salmon, that I sent to the Ashmolean Society, Oxford, 

 which will enable you to see the thing more clearly. 



I remain, ever yours truly, A. YOUNG. 



H. KNOX, Esq., M.D. 



At page 63 of my MS. Journal, I find that, at my request, my 

 esteemed friend, Mr. Harkness, of Lochmaben, fished the river 

 AE for me with bait (a small red worm), and the Castle Loch 

 with a net, sending me the products. From the AE were taken 

 fourteen female parr and ten male ditto, also one parr-trout, 



H 



