SALMON IN FRESH WATER. 9 



when food is plentiful. The young of both grayling 

 and trout suffer greatly from the presence of salmon 

 in the tributaries of our rivers, the former particularly 

 are sought after and taken by them. 



A salmon in its young state is commonly called a 

 parr, smolt, smelt, or samlet When at this stage they 

 rise boldly at the artificial trout-fly, but it is unlawful 

 to take them. The terms for the young of other 

 migratory fish (salmonidce) are scad, shed, black-tip, 

 blue-fin, hipper, etc. When the young of these fish 

 attain a length of about six inches, which they do in 

 from eighteen months to two years from the time of 

 hatching, they descend to the sea, where their stay 

 is, generally speaking, about four months. Upon the 

 first return of the young fish, after a sojourn of about 

 this period, it is commonly termed a grilse or salmon- 

 peal. The term " kelt" is applied to male or female 

 after spawning time, the male being also specially 

 distinguished by the appellation, " kipper." The fish 

 then assume the colour and form of the fully 

 developed fish. With regard to the hard and fast 

 rules usually given for their growth and development, 

 their stay in their native or in salt water, we may 

 state that great variation exists amongst individuals 

 living under the same apparent conditions. The 

 pisciculturist well knows that a portion of every 

 brood or hatch of fish are larger, stronger, and more 

 vigorous than the remainder, and the same thing is 

 exemplified when the fish attain maturity. We 

 cannot endorse the statements of some who affirm, 

 though they never attempted to prove, that the fry 



