SALMON. 13 



species : thus, they are soonest lost in the Salmon and in 

 the Bull-Trout, and are borne the longest in the Common 

 Trout and Parr ; indeed, I have never seen the Parr, at any 

 age or size, without some trace of the remains of these 

 markings. It is this similarity in markings and appearance 

 of the fry which has caused the difficulty in distinguishing 

 between the various species when so young; and experi- 

 menters, believing they had marked young Parr only, have 

 been surprised to find some of their marked fish return as 

 Grilse, young Bull-Trout or Whitling, Salmon-Trout, River- 

 Trout, and true Parr. 



There are striking examples in other animals of this 

 similarity in the markings, or family likeness, in the young 

 of the various species of the same genus, however different 

 may be the colours of the parent animals. The young of 

 the lion and the puma are as much marked for a time as the 

 young of the tiger and leopard, or, indeed, of any of the 

 other cats, whether striped or spotted ; and the young of all 

 deer are said, and many are known to be, spotted, though it 

 is also known that the greater number of the adult animals 

 are perfectly plain. 



To return to the Salmon. The adult fish having spawn- 

 ed, being out of condition and unfit for food, are considered 

 as unclean fish. They are usually called Kelts ; the male 

 fish is also called a Kipper, the female a Baggit. With the 

 floods of the end of winter and the commencement of spring 

 they descend the river from pool to pool, and ultimately gain 

 the sea, where they quickly recover their condition, to ascend 

 again in autumn for the same purpose as before ; but always 

 remaining for a time in the brackish water of the tide-way 

 before making either decided change ; obtaining, it has been 

 said, a release from certain parasitic animals, either external 

 or internal, by each seasonal change ; those of the salt 



