SALMON. 



185 



in many places, that all which bear these signs will assuredly 

 at last become Salmon, or some other of the larger species of 

 this family. 



We leave the consideration of this question until we come to 

 treat of another species of the same tribe; but in the true 

 Salmon these bands are usually in no long time superseded by 

 a diffusion over the surface of a brilliant silvery tinge, which 

 appears to reside in a new order of scales; and when this takes 

 place a new instinct is manifested, under which fresh water 

 becomes irksome, and even injurious, and these little fishes hasten 

 down to the yet untried waters of the sea; and yet, even at 

 this time there appear to be some materials which arc necessary, 

 but not always provided. They loiter in considerable numbers 

 in the pools of rivers where with eagerness for food multitudes 

 arc caught by anglers who fish for them with a worm or fly, 

 until at last a welcome fall of rain removes the difficulty; so 

 that where of an evening they have been caught freely, on the 

 following morning, in May, not one is henceforward to be found. 

 It has been noticed that while thus passing downward in fresh 

 water, these young fish prefer to keep near the border; but on 

 coming into the salt they pass into the deeper part, and soon 

 after they disappear from human sight, and go we know not 

 whither. Such as we have here represented has been generally 

 understood to be the natural course of proceeding of the young 

 of the Salmon, from the time of their quitting the egg to their 

 passage into the sea; and such may safely be pronounced the 

 ordinary case in the south and western portion of our island; 

 for none in any stage of growth of the true Salmon can be 

 recognised in the rivers of Cornwall and Devon during the 

 summer, except perhaps that in the Tamar a few examples of 

 full size may appear at that season. 



But since the practice has been adopted of breeding the 

 young Salmon in ponds prepared for the purpose, it has been 

 observed that while a portion of the young fish have passed 

 through the changes we have described in the course of a single 

 season of spring, there are others which have undergone them 

 so slowly as to have remained in what is termed the Parr state 

 for a whole year, or even for two or three before they have 

 attained that condition which prompts them to migrate to the 

 sea; and even further than this, that in their diminutive, although 



VOL. IV. 2 B 



