298 Reminiscences of 



damaged, which find their way down to the salt water 

 again from spawning beds but moderately distant 

 from the sea, may possibly recover to a primitive con- 

 dition; but I very much doubt it if their stay from 

 the sea has been prolonged, for the inevitable result 

 of stomach shrinkage is bound to occur, and an almost 

 complete extinction of the stomach glands (pyloric 

 coeca) and of auxiliary internal organs. 



Salmon fly fishermen are familiar with the black 

 salmon which are found in Atlantic stream pools, 

 which occasionally take the fly, having come down 

 from the upper waters and mingled with the fresh 

 runs. These are the salmon which have lain over a 

 year in the stream, and are more or less blind, but 

 have, some of them, sufficient vision to see and take 

 the fly. These we know to be completely worthless 

 for food, and they are thrown away, and if examined in- 

 ternally will be found to be almost deficient in stomach 

 and stomach glands, and we may feel rather sure 

 that they can never be revived to a good form again. 



But as to those salmon, male and female, which re- 

 turn to the sea from short streams the same season after 

 spawning is over, it may be that they will recuperate 

 to a good condition again. But it may be a question 

 if they do, although we have no certain evidence of it. 



It might be cited that almost all of the enormously 

 large salmon which have been taken, weighing from 

 sixty to even one hundred pounds, have been marked 

 almost invariably by some prominent features, especially 

 in hooked jaws. From the large salmon I have seen, 

 and the many casts in museums and other places, 

 and particularly in the large collection of salmon casts 

 made by the late Frank Buckland, of London, and in 



