160 LOWER VERTEBRATES. 



crossing the lateral line, while in the upper half of the body the darker color of the 

 back forms an arch over each of these bands, a row of spots along the middle of 

 the rayed dorsal fin and the adipose orange-tipped." 



The dusky cross-shades found in the young salmon or parr are characteristic of the 

 young of all Salmonidse, except, perhaps, the species of Coregonus. 



The salmon of the Atlantic is, as already stated, an aoadromous fish, spending 

 most of its life in the sea, and entering the streams in the fall for purposes of repro- 

 duction. The time of running varies mu,ch in different streams and also in different 

 countries. As with the Pacific species, they arc not easily discouraged in their pro- 

 gress, leaping cascades and other obstructions, or, if these j)rove impassable, dying 

 after repeated fruitless attempts. 



The young salmon known as the jsarr is hatched in the spring. It usually remains 

 about two years in the rivers, descending at about the third spring to the sea, when 

 it is known as smolt. In the sea it grows much more rapidly, and becomes more sil- 

 very in color, and is known as ' grilse.' The grilse rajjidly develop into the adult 

 salmon, and some of them, as is also the case with the grilse of the Pacific salmon, are 

 capable of reproduction. 



After sisawning, the salmon are very lean and unwholesome in appearance, as in 

 fact. They are then known as kelts. The Atlantic salmon does not ascend rivers to 

 any such distances as those traversed by the quinnat and the blue-back. Its kelts, 

 therefore, for the most part, survive the act of spawning. Dr. Day thinks that they 

 feed upon the young salmon in the rivers, and that, therefore, the destruction of the 

 kelts might increase the supply of salmon. This matter needs further investigation. 



As a food-fish, the Atlantic salmon is very similar to the Pacific species, neither 

 better nor worse, so far as I can see, when equally fresh. In both, the flesh is rich 

 and finely-flavored, but the appetite becomes cloyed with salmon-flesh sooner than 

 with that of white-fish, smelt, or charr. 



In size the Atlantic salmon does not fall far short of the quinnat. The average 

 weight of the adult is jirobably less than fifteen jDounds. The largest one of which I 

 find a record was taken on the coast of Ireland in 1881, and weighed eighty-four and 

 three-fourths pounds. 



The salmon is found in Europe between the latitudes of 45° and 75°. In the 

 United States, it is now rarely seen south of Cape Cod, although formerly the Hudson 

 and numerous other rivers were salmon streams. Over-fishing, obstructions in the 

 rivers, and pollution of the water by manufactories and by city sewage are agencies 

 against which the salmon cannot cope. 



Seven species of salmon (as distinguished from trout) are recognized, by Dr. Gtin- 

 ther, in Europe and three in America. The land-locked forms, abundant in Norway, 

 Sweden, and Maine, which cannot, or at least do not, descend to the sea, are regarded 

 by him as distinct species. " The question," observes Dr. Gilnther, "whether any of 

 the migratory species can be retained by artificial means in fresh water, and finally 

 accommodate themselves to a permanent sojourn therein, must be negatived for the 

 present." 



On this point I am compelled to disagree from Dr. Gilnther. I have compared numer- 

 ous specimens of the common land-locked salmon (jSalmo solar, var. sebagd) of the lakes 

 of Maine and New Brunswick with land-locked salmon {Salmo salar, var. hardini) from 

 the lakes of Sweden, and also with numerous migratory salmon both from America 

 and Europe. I can have no hesitation in regarding all as specifically identical. The 



