792 PROF. W. H. FLOWER ON ZLURUS FULGENS. [Nov. 15, 
1868, which ova would, in October 1869, have furnished fishes in the 
yery condition of the specimen sent? 
The circumstances of the capture of the two smolts strongly con- 
firm this last view; for since the commencement of the experiment, the 
sea-beaches on which they were caught have been persistently fished 
with seine nets and rewards have been offered to the fishermen for any 
unknown fishes captured; yet out of about 4000 Salmon-smolts 
which went to sea during 1864 and 1865, and about 6000 which went 
during 1867 and 1868, not a single specimen was caught, while 
(if the fish sent was 34 years old) out of about 200 Salmon-trout 
smolts liberated in 1867 and 1868, two have been taken; for the 
second specimen, though larger than that sent, and caught in a 
separate locality, is identical in species and condition, and therefore 
equally abortive. It is, moreover, difficult to believe that abortive 
fishes would voluntarily travel more than 30 miles in obedience 
to an instinct given them to perfect those very organs which in their 
case are absent. Unless the Salmon-trout, have bred in Tasmanian 
waters, the doctrine of chance has been strangely overridden in this 
case. 
It may be urged that, as none of the fishes retained in the breeding- 
pond spawned in the winter of 1868, it is unlikely that any of those 
liberated did so; but may not the unnatural detention in fresh water 
have retarded the development of the fishes in the pond? A great 
majority of the Common Trout (Salmo fario) hatched in September 
1866, spawned in June and July 1868; and some of those Salmon- 
trout which went to sea may well have attained sexual maturity in 
the same period. 
About six weeks after the capture of the two smolts before referred 
to, a much larger specimen was caught on one of the same sea-beaches. 
This fish is exactly what would be called in many English rivers a 
Sprod ; and, after carefully comparing it with the written descrip- 
tions of Yarrell and Dr. Giinther, I can only conclude it is a true 
Salmo salar. This last specimen I have also forwarded for presen- 
tation to the Society, in the hope that some competent authority 
may examine and report upon it *. 
2. On the Anatomy of Alurus fulgens, Fr, Cuv. 
By Witt1am Henry Frower, F.R.S., V.P.Z.S., &e. 
The animal which forms the subject of the present communication 
was first brought under the notice of zoologists by General Hard- 
wicke, in a paper read before the Linnean Society, Nov. 6, 1821, 
entitled “‘ Description of a new Genus of the Class Mammalia, from 
the Himalaya chain of Hills between Nepaul and the Snowy Moun- 
tains.” The publication of this paper was unfortunately delayed for 
* Dr. Gimther has examined this specimen, and has found that it presents 
the usual characters by which Salmo salar is distinguishable from its nearest 
allies.—Eb. 
