34 SPECIES OF THE SALMON. 



dom, nay, even of the same county, yet no one 

 ever thought of pronouncing them to be of dif- 

 ferent species they do not even form different 

 varieties ; they are one and the same animal, al- 

 tered in appearance only and natural size by the 

 effect of food and climate, their produce not only 

 reproducing, but absolutely improving by the mix- 

 ture. There must then be a much better reason 

 adduced to prove a difference of species in salmon 

 than merely that of a trivial difference in colour 

 and shape. Since therefore the salmon, the salmo 

 trutta or sea- trout, so called, the salmon -peal 

 and the smelt, spawn or fry, associate together, 

 and breed together, are in every respect per- 

 fectly alike, and never intermix with other fish of 

 a different species, I contend that there is the 

 strongest reason, exclusive of the other circum- 

 stances which will be mentioned in the progress of 

 this enquiry, to believe that they come within the 

 meaning before stated of the word species, and are 

 one and the same kind of fish. I will now pro- 

 ceed to state such facts as appear to me to prove 

 that the peal and salmo trutta are young salmon ; 

 I repeat, they are facts and not opinions ; and I 

 am content to abide by the conclusions to which 

 they naturally lead. 



1 . Commencing with the salmon smelt. This 

 with the salmon-peal, the salmo trutta, and the 

 salmon, are alike in every respect internally and 

 externally, only varying in size, and except that 

 the back of the smelt is always white before it 



