THE PAR. 87 



writer on the subject, and yet has done little towards 

 settling the question at issue. 



Three theories, barring the one of its being a distinct 

 species, are abroad concerning the par. The first and 

 most general opinion is, that the par belongs both to 

 the trout and salmon species, and is a sort of mule be- 

 twixt them ; the second theory maintained by some, 

 reckons it to be the male of the sea trout, whitling, or 

 finnock ; and the third, which is by far the soundest, 

 is held, certainly, we confess, upon suspicious premises, 

 by the Ettrick Shepherd, and assumes that the par is 

 nothing else than the fry of the salmon. We shall 

 consider these three opinions individually, and give our 

 reasons for supporting the last. 



First, then, as to the par being a mule betwixt the 

 salmon (under which term we here include grilse, sea 

 trout, &c.) and common river trout. How happens 

 it that two such comparatively large fish produce so 

 attenuated a breed, when we know that the cross be- 

 twixt beasts, such as that of the horse and ass, is pro- 

 portioned to the respective sizes of these animals, and 

 that the four-footed mule is so much less than the one, 

 and larger than the other ; neither does the crossing 

 of different birds, such as the goldfinch with the bull- 

 finch, diminish their offspring in any degree : yet the 

 par produced by one fish a yard in length, with another 

 most probably not exceeding a foot, never attains half 

 the weight of its smaller parent, and measures at most 

 six or seven inches. 



Again, it is singular, that in rivers where par lie, 

 they muster as ten to one compared with the common 

 trout a most extraordinary proportion of mules ! which, 

 if we consider the well-known precautions of salmon 

 while spawning, could not possibly be produced. These 

 fish, in ascending our streams, pair off as spawner and 



