184 Transactiojis. — Miscellaneous . 



The other two specimens fS. cambriciis) differ from above in the ventral 

 fins having 9 rays, and in having no spots on the adipose fins. 

 Eeniarks suggested by above sj^echnens examined. 



Sahno quinnat : — In the absence of a specimen of the mature fish, the above 

 description of the smolt may serve as an approximate guide to identification 

 of this species when it may be met with in our waters. The adult will pro- 

 bably be found to have fewer vomerine teeth, and to be fuller in body or 

 " thick " as stated by Mr. Lord — the silvery scales also will be more perma- 

 nent. The only descriptions of this fish accessible to me, are those by Dr. 

 Glinther, Mr. Lord, and a letter from Dr. Comrie, E.N., written from Vancou- 

 ver Island, and now in my possession. These are anything but complete, with 

 the exception of Mr. Lord's. Dr. Glinther classes this salmon under the 

 genus Oncorynchus, in which the anal rays exceed 14, and he calls it a "mi- 

 gratory trout from the Columbia river." The two other authorities I have 

 named call it a salmon, and speak of it as ascending the Columbia and Fraser 

 rivers, sometimes attaining the great weight of 75 lbs. — the average weight 

 being 25 lbs. The only migratory trout referred to by Mr. Lord is S. sjjec- 

 tabilis or the 8. campbelli of Glinther. The specimen examined by 

 Dr. Glinther may possibly have been accidentally labelled in error, as cer- 

 tam others were which he mentions in his catalogue. As to the number of 

 anal rays, it will be seen that I found just 14 in this smolt, and I would 

 explain that by assuming that this young salmon resembles other species of 

 the Salmonid^ wherein a reduced number is not uncommon in young fish, 

 such, for example, as in the S. cambricus described above in this paper. 



The 5'. quMuiat is proved to be capable of living and breeding in fresh- 

 water rivers when cut off from all access to the sea ; but that it can con- 

 tinue indefinitely to thrive and propagate, is not thereby determined as yet. 

 It seems also that the grilse in an open river do not breed for several years, 

 and probably not until they become mature fish. Their journeys up the 

 rivers of North Western America, are in distance and duration also regulated 

 by age and the condition of the water. Very young fish only ascend a 

 short way and then come back again to salt water. No runs of fish take 

 place during floods, but only when the flow of water is steady, irrespective 

 of its being high or low.* 



I may observe here that Dr. Glinther has described at least four species 

 of the genus Oncorynchus as frequenting the rivers of North Western Ame- 

 rica, and probably there are several more species of this salmon which 

 have not come under his notice. But it is interesting to observe that this 

 genus is numerous in species and capable at the same time of great modifi- 

 cation in habits ; while the S. salar of British waters is the only species 



* App. to Jour. H. of E., 1878. 



