164 



BRANDLING-TROUT, PAR, or SAMLET. 



The brandling trout, par, samlet, fingerling, rack- 

 rider, sampson, shedder, and last-spring, are the 

 various names by which this little fish, that has 

 so much puzzled ichthyologists to discover his pa- 

 rentage, is known in different parts of the kingdom. 

 One -writer is disposed to believe that brandlings 

 are the young of the sea-trout; another believes 

 them to be the produce of a trout and a salmon; a 

 third says that they are the young of such salmon 

 as have been prevented from returning to the sea; 

 a fourth, that they are all milters or males, conse- 

 quently a cross between two different species; and 

 a fifth, having discovered the fact that they are of 

 both sexes, concludes that they are a distinct spe- 

 cies; and as such we will consider them until the 

 observations of experienced ichthyologists shall have 

 decided their true pedigree. The name brandling, or 

 fingerling, is derived from nine or ten marks, of a 

 dusky bluish colour, like the impression of fingers, 

 upon its sides. They are supposed to visit the sea, 

 as they generally make their appearance in rivers 

 about April, and disappear in November. On their 

 first appearance they are between five and six inches 

 long ; and very few nine inches long are taken at 

 any time, the average being about seven Brand- 

 lings are sometimes caught in January and February, 

 returning to the sea, weak and emaciated, after 

 spawning. 



