20 MR. F. DAY ON RACES AND [Jail. 1 5 j 



1*3 inch. Scales — 12 rows between the adipose dorsal fin and lateral 

 line. The direction of the rows of scales ou the body rather irregular 

 in places. Of a silvery colour along the back and sides, the upper 

 half or two thirds of the body being spotted with black, some large 

 red spots along the lateral line ; three black spots on the opercle, 

 and a fourth at its upper corner ; one also on the preopercle. In 

 certain lights 12 finger or parr-marks may be observed along either 

 side ; dorsal fin grey, with a white anterior edge at its upper margin, 

 its lower half spotted with black ; adipose dorsal orange, with a grey 

 front edge ; the other fins unspotted. 



Specimen no. 2 was nearly similar in colour to no. I, but a little 

 more yellow ; while it had 10 finger-marks on one side and 12 on 

 the other; 14 rows of scales between the adipose dorsal fin and the 

 lateral line ; while the direction of the rows of scales on the body 

 was irregular. 



Specimen no. 3 was similarly coloured, except being still more 

 yellow; it had 10 finger-marks on one side and 11 on the other; 2 

 black spots on the preopercle and 3 on the opercle ; also many red 

 spots on the body. 



In these three undoubted hybrids the number of parr-bands along 

 the sides varied from 10 to 12, while the direction of the rows of 

 scales showed great irregularity. Both had 1 ] 8 along the lateral 

 line; but on the side of the tail they varied from 12 to 14 between 

 the adipose dorsal and the lateral line. 



Respecting the rate of growth of these fish as compared with 

 young Salmon, it was found that the largest was a little over 7 inches 

 long ; while young Salmo salar in the next pond, a year older, were 

 from 4 to 13| inches in length. 



Examples of young Salmon {Salmo salar) are at present at 

 Howietoun in pond C, which is 130 feet long and has boarded 

 edges. The eggs and milt from which these fish were raised were 

 obtained by Sir J. Gibson-Maitlaud from the Teith in December 

 1880, and hatched at Howietoun in March 1881. There are a 

 considerable number in the pond, aud they have developed some 

 very interesting phenomena. In July this year, in the presence of 

 the foreign and other commissioners to the Fisheries Exhibition, 

 this pond was netted, when it was seen that some of the young fish, 

 then 2 years and 4 months old, were golden, spotted, and in the 

 bpnded parr-stage, while others were beautiful silvery smolts almost 

 ready to descend to the sea. Some of these parr-marked fish 

 exceeded those which were in the smolt livery in size, although this 

 was the exception. 



During the first week in October one of these fish, under a pound 

 in weight, and in the smolt colours, but with the parr-bands still 

 visible in certain lights, jumped out of the pond and was fouud 

 dead. On being opened it turned out to be a female with compara- 

 tively large ova, which were of a deep reddish colour — thus almost 

 disposing of the statement that " no parr has ever been found with 

 mature ova" 1 . Certainly the ova were not mature, but would have 

 1 Gihither, ' Introduction to the Study of Fish,' p. 639. 



