SALMON 33 



But if the Salmon fry attain but to such pigmy 

 growth in fresh water, still less is that element 

 favourable to adult Salmon, which, as I have else- 

 where observed, fall off in size and condition from 

 the moment they enter a river for the purpose of 

 spawning. When they have spawned, however, 

 they certainly do mend greatly in condition, or, 

 more correctly speaking, recover from their state 

 of weakness. 



But to return to Mr. Shaw. ' The circumstance," 

 says he, " of male Parrs with the milt matured, and 

 flowing in profusion from their bodies, being at all 

 times found in company with the adult female 

 Salmon while depositing her spawn in the river, and 

 the female Parrs being in every instance absent, 

 suggested the idea that the males were probably 

 present with the female Salmon at such seasons for 

 sexual purposes. 



' To demonstrate the fact," he continues, " in 

 January, 1837, I took a female Salmon weighing 

 fourteen pounds from the spawning bed, from 

 whence I also took a male Parr weighing one ounce 

 and a half, with the milt of which I impregnated a 

 quantity of her ova, and placed the whole in a 

 private pond ; where, to my great astonishment, 

 the process succeeded in every respect, as it had 

 done with the ova which had been impregnated by 

 the adult male Salmon, and exhibited, from the first 

 visible appearance of the embryo fish up to their 

 assuming their migratory dress, the utmost health 

 and vigour. 



' The result from this experiment was of so start- 



