12 SALMON IDF. 



somewhat less than an inch in length, being now twenty 

 weeks from the period of their deposition." 



"April 1. On reopening the spawning-bed, most of 

 the fry had quitted it by ascending through the gravel. 

 During a former series of observations I have found the 

 ova imbedded in the gravel unchanged on the 10th of 

 April, and as fry or fishes, but still imbedded in the gravel, 

 on the 17th : they were taken that year, with fly, as Smolts, 

 on the 22nd of April, about the size of the little finger." 



Some specimens of Salmon fry now before me, with a 

 portion of the ovum still attached to the abdomen of each 

 fish, measure one inch in length : the head and eyes are 

 large ; the colour of the body pale brown, with nine or 

 ten dusky grey marks across the sides. These dusky 

 patches, longer vertically than wide, are common, I have 

 reason to believe, to the young of all the species of the 

 genus Salmo. I have seen them in the young of the 

 Salmon, Bull-Trout, Salmon-Trout, Parr, Common Trout, 

 and Welsh Charr. I have never had an opportunity of 

 examining the young of the Northern Charr, or the Great 

 Lake-Trout ; yet I have no doubt but that, when only two 

 or three inches long, they also are marked in the same 

 manner. In a specimen of the young of the Salmon six 

 inches long, these transverse marks are still observable when 

 the fish is viewed in a particular position in reference to the 

 light ; and if the scales are removed, the marks are much 

 more obvious. In a Parr of the same length these marks 

 are still more conspicuous ; they are also very distinct in 

 the Common Trout and in the Welsh Charr for a consider- 

 able time ; and as far as my own examination has gone, 

 these lateral markings observable in the fry of the species of 

 Salmo are lost, or become indistinct, sooner or later, depend- 

 ing on the ultimate natural size attained by the particular 



