148 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



World, its excellence as an article of diet, and the variety of interests involved in the 

 fisheries established for its capture, rendering a correct knowledge of its natural 

 history an object of much importance in an economical point of view. A well- 

 authenticated and connected account of its growth, from the newly-evolved fry to 

 the full-sized fish, is, however, still a desideratum, for, although many facts have 

 been established by competent observers, there are several gaps in the history of 

 this trout, and in particular the form it assumes when half grown has not been fully 

 discriminated from the young of other species. It is greatly to be regretted that 

 our acquaintance with the Salmon of the American rivers is so very limited, for 

 should it happen that the Salmo hamatus and trutta, or other closely-resembling 

 species, are unknown in America, we might more readily ascertain how many of 

 the forms known in Great Britain by the local names of smelts, smolts, or smouts, 

 grawls, gilses, grilses, salmon-peel, kippers, liggers, &c, actually belong to the 

 solar. The natural history of the Salmon, prosecuted in a country where conflict- 

 ing interests have not as yet sprung up to cause the perversion of facts, would 

 furnish a rich field of research for ichthyologists, and afford the means of clearing 

 up many mistakes which have crept into the works of naturalists, — great care being, 

 of course, taken to ascertain the correct specific appellations of the subject under 

 observation. 



The Common salmon is an inhabitant of all the northern European and Asiatic 

 seas, from the entrance of the Bay of Biscay round the North Cape, and along the 

 coast of Asia to Kamtschatka and the sea of Ochotsk, including the Baltic, White 

 Sea, Gulf of Kara, and other inlets. It is found in Iceland, and, according to 

 Guldenstsedt, it also inhabits the Caspian. At certain seasons the Salmon quits 

 the sea, and ascends the rivers towards their sources for the purpose of spawning, 

 preferring those streams which have stony or rocky bottoms, and convenient gra- 

 velly banks for the reception of the spawn. Nilsson, however, informs us, that in 

 some instances the Salmon resides permanently in fresh water, for it is known, says 

 he, to winter in the interior Swedish lakes, named Wenern and Siljan, from 

 whence it ascends the rivers at the close of spring, without entering the salt water 

 at all*. 



As the Salmon is never taken on the British coast except in estuaries, rivers, or 

 lakes, the depths of the sea to which it retires are unknown t ; but the microsco- 



* In interioribus quibusdem lacubus, Wenern, Siljan hiemem degit, unde vere preterlapso fluvios adscendit. Lacubus 

 igitnr ut mari, pro hibernis utitur, aquam salsam minqnam attingens. Vernae horum lacuum dicuntur pinguiores etcarne 

 saturatiores, quam marini, qui, itinere et impedimentos fatigati, dictos lacos inturdem attingunt. Nilsson, Pisces 

 Snand. 



f The following extract from Leems's Journey into Danish Lapland may throw some light on the matter. " At the 



