THE LATE SALMO SALAR, ESQ. 19 



hands of it/ was the reply with which my pro- 

 fane friend placed me in the water, carefully 

 enough. I felt sick and helpless ; without 

 power to sustain my proper position, I floated, 

 with my back downwards, until I rested against 

 some long floating grass, a few yards from the 

 boat, to which the eddy of the stream had 

 carried me. Although too weak to move, I 

 retained my senses, and heard the younger 

 man say to his companion 



" ' Why, John, what made you throw that 

 poor little dead beast into the water again ?' 



" ' 'Deed,' was the reply, c yon beastie's just 

 a smolt, an' there's a fine for killing sich like.' 



" ' But you killed a parr just now ?' 



"'Ay.' 



" ' But you call this a parr ?' 



" ' 'Deed, an' it's the fau't of those who gie 

 the same name to twa different fishes.' 



" ' What do you mean ?' 



" ' A' mean that there's a wee fish ye killed 

 just noo ca'ed M the parr," an' it's a fish of 

 itself,* an' has melt an' roe as every ither fish 



* I have opened hundreds of the Burn Parr, Salmo 

 Salmidus, male and female. I have seen them on their 

 spawning-beds, and taken them out of burns where salmon 



