The Californian Salmon. 41 



stead of being developed in winter and 

 hatched in spring, as in the Atlantic species. 

 In its native rivers the Salmo quinnat usually 

 hatches out in October, after a period of 

 incubation of about 60 days, at a temperature 

 of 48 deg. to 50 deg. ; the time of hatching 

 being extended or shortened by a lower or 

 higher temperature of the stream in which 

 the ova are placed. It is an ascertained fact 

 that, in ascending the rivers for the purpose of 

 depositing their spawn, the fish have to pass 

 through waters at a temperature of 76 to 80 

 deg., and as few of the Victorian rivers attain 

 to a higher temperature than this, there is 

 a very strong probability that they will prove 

 admirably suited to this fish. The average 

 size of the Californian salmon when full 

 grown is about 20 lbs., but specimens have 

 been caught of 40 to 60, and even 100 lbs.' 

 weight. It is a handsome fish, having a 

 silvery lustre even at a very young stage, 

 which the Salmo salar does not attain, 

 until it becomes a smolt. It has not the 

 elegant contour of the English salmon, and 

 the grain of the flesh is somewhat coarser, 

 but it is nearly, if not quite, equal to it in 



