﻿FISHES. 
  

  

  251 
  

  

  the 
  parentage 
  of 
  the 
  parr 
  now 
  maintain 
  that 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  

   twelve 
  months 
  it 
  takes 
  to 
  the 
  sea 
  in 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  smolt, 
  

   returning 
  to 
  its 
  native 
  stream 
  a 
  few 
  months 
  later 
  — 
  some 
  say 
  

   a 
  few 
  weeks 
  — 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  grilse, 
  of 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  six 
  pounds 
  

   weight 
  ; 
  but 
  they 
  will 
  admit 
  of 
  no 
  stages 
  between 
  smolt 
  and 
  

   grilse. 
  The 
  latter, 
  they 
  maintain, 
  after 
  a 
  short 
  time 
  in 
  the 
  

   river, 
  descend 
  to 
  the 
  sea, 
  and, 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  season, 
  return 
  

   as 
  salmon. 
  In 
  short, 
  it 
  is 
  affirmed 
  that 
  a 
  smolt 
  of 
  from 
  five 
  to 
  

   six 
  inches 
  long, 
  and 
  which, 
  according 
  to 
  them, 
  is 
  not 
  more 
  

   than 
  twelve 
  months 
  old, 
  leaps 
  into 
  a 
  grilse 
  in 
  the 
  short 
  space 
  

   of 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  months, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  similarly 
  short 
  time 
  becomes 
  

   a 
  salmon. 
  

  

  It 
  is, 
  however, 
  well 
  known 
  now 
  that 
  many 
  parr 
  remain 
  in 
  

   fresh 
  water 
  for 
  two 
  years 
  before 
  they 
  assume 
  the 
  smolt 
  

   dress, 
  and 
  then 
  only 
  do 
  they 
  make 
  way 
  to 
  the 
  sea. 
  It 
  has, 
  

   over 
  and 
  over 
  again, 
  been 
  observed 
  by 
  those 
  having 
  charge 
  of 
  

   salmon 
  hatcheries 
  — 
  indeed, 
  by 
  all 
  who 
  have 
  gone 
  into 
  the 
  

   subject 
  experimentally 
  — 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  fry 
  produced 
  from 
  the 
  roe 
  

   of 
  one 
  salmon, 
  one 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  number 
  assume 
  the 
  smolt 
  dress 
  

   when 
  twelve 
  months 
  old, 
  and 
  make 
  efforts 
  to 
  escape 
  seawards, 
  

   leaping 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  banks 
  that 
  confine 
  them, 
  and 
  readily 
  rush 
  

   out 
  when 
  egress 
  is 
  afforded 
  them; 
  while 
  the 
  other 
  half 
  will 
  not 
  

   avail 
  themselves 
  of 
  the 
  liberty 
  offered 
  until 
  twelve 
  months 
  

   afterwards, 
  so 
  that 
  smolt 
  when 
  caught 
  may 
  be 
  from 
  one 
  to 
  

   two 
  years 
  old, 
  or 
  even 
  more. 
  This 
  accounts 
  for 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  

   parr 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  streams 
  at 
  all 
  seasons 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  while 
  

   smolts 
  are 
  not 
  — 
  a 
  fact 
  that 
  has 
  been 
  brought 
  forward 
  as 
  

   proof 
  that 
  parr 
  and 
  smolt 
  are 
  not 
  the 
  same 
  species. 
  

  

  Now, 
  before 
  making 
  any 
  observations 
  on 
  this 
  rapid 
  

   transformation 
  from 
  smolt 
  to 
  grilse, 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  to 
  note 
  

   that 
  there 
  are 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  small 
  fishes 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  kind, 
  

   and 
  all 
  anadromous 
  forms, 
  that 
  in 
  various 
  parts 
  of 
  Britain 
  

   receive 
  different 
  names. 
  Thus 
  in 
  some 
  quarters 
  there 
  are 
  

   Whitings 
  and 
  Salmon-peal, 
  Skerlings, 
  Lastsprings, 
  Smouls 
  

   and 
  Pink, 
  Sprints, 
  Herlings, 
  Yellowfins, 
  Blacktails, 
  Silver- 
  

   white, 
  and 
  Finnocks. 
  All 
  these 
  have 
  long 
  been, 
  and 
  still 
  are, 
  

   held 
  by 
  many 
  as 
  distinct 
  species. 
  They 
  are, 
  however, 
  nothing 
  

   more 
  than 
  local 
  varieties 
  of 
  what 
  is 
  generally 
  known 
  in 
  the 
  

   north 
  as 
  the 
  Finnock, 
  a 
  form 
  which 
  many 
  say 
  does 
  not 
  ascend 
  

   our 
  streams 
  beyond 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  the 
  tide, 
  but 
  which 
  I 
  

   have 
  myself 
  seen 
  caught 
  in 
  the 
  upper 
  reaches 
  of 
  our 
  rivers. 
  

  

  