164 ANGLING. 



an old or mature parr into a young or immature 

 salmon, usually takes place in the month of April 

 of the second season after that in which the fry was 

 hatched. The Royal Society specimens, Nos. 10 

 and 11, beautifully illustrate this change. No. 10 

 was taken from the pond on the 5th of January 

 1839. It then measured 6 inches in length, and 

 was 20 months old. It still exhibits all the ordi- 

 nary characters of the parr, commonly so called. 

 At this period No. 1] presented a corresponding 

 appearance in all points ; but it was allowed to sur- 

 vive till the 24th May, by which time it had com- 

 pleted its second year. During the lapse of these 

 additional four months, it gained only half an inch 

 in length, but it cast off the livery of the parr, and 

 assumed that of the salmon, this remarkable change 

 consisting chiefly in the following particulars. The 

 black spots upon the opercles disappeared ; the 

 pale coloured pectoral fins became deeply suffused 

 by an inky hue at their extremities ; the broad 

 perpendicular bars or blotches on the sides became 

 effaced ; and the prevailing hues of dusky brown 

 and yellowish white were converted into a dark 

 bluish black upon the back, and into silvery white 

 upon the lower sides and abdomen.* Various 



* Mr. Shaw has, moreover, observed, that when this striking change 

 takes place in the external aspect of the fry, a marked alteration also 

 occurs in their social habits : " while in the parr state, they shew no 

 disposition to congregate, but each individual occupies a particular 

 station in the ponds, and should any one quit his place with the view 

 of occupying the station already possessed by another, the intruder 

 is at once expelled with an apparent degree of violence. But so soon 

 as the whole brood has perfected the migratory dress, they immedi- 

 ately congregate into a shoal, and exhibit an anxious desire to effect 



