﻿252 
  

  

  THE 
  VE 
  ETE 
  BE 
  ATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  "DEE/' 
  

  

  The 
  finnock 
  is 
  the 
  young 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  trout, 
  and 
  the 
  sea 
  trout 
  

   becomes 
  a 
  grilse, 
  and 
  grilse 
  eventually 
  a 
  salmon. 
  We 
  have 
  

   thus 
  salmon 
  fry, 
  parr, 
  smolt, 
  finnock, 
  sea 
  trout, 
  grilse, 
  salmon, 
  

   giving 
  all 
  the 
  steps 
  from 
  birth 
  to 
  maturity. 
  

  

  Another 
  point 
  that 
  has 
  long 
  been 
  held 
  to 
  prove 
  that 
  

   sea 
  trout, 
  etc., 
  have 
  no 
  connection 
  with 
  salmon, 
  is 
  the 
  

   great 
  difference 
  in 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  tail 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  forms. 
  

   This, 
  however, 
  cannot 
  be 
  taken 
  into 
  account, 
  for 
  I 
  find 
  that 
  

   in 
  its 
  younger 
  stages 
  the 
  tail 
  of 
  the 
  parr 
  is 
  totally 
  different 
  

   from 
  that 
  of 
  its 
  parents, 
  which 
  is 
  deeply 
  forked. 
  Although 
  the 
  

   parr's 
  tail 
  is 
  generally 
  represented 
  as 
  forked, 
  it 
  is 
  in 
  reality 
  

   not 
  so. 
  Photographic 
  illustrations 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  fish 
  show 
  

   that 
  at 
  three 
  up 
  to 
  six 
  months 
  old 
  the 
  tail 
  is 
  almost 
  straight 
  

   across, 
  becoming 
  more 
  cut 
  into 
  as 
  the 
  creature 
  advances 
  ; 
  

   besides, 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  few 
  months 
  they 
  have 
  no 
  scales 
  upon 
  

   the 
  body. 
  Thus 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  that 
  the 
  salmon 
  in 
  its 
  younger 
  

   stages 
  is 
  somewhat 
  slow 
  of 
  growth 
  — 
  reversing 
  the 
  process 
  

   seen 
  in 
  some 
  other 
  forms 
  of 
  life 
  — 
  and 
  it 
  continues 
  so 
  through 
  

   the 
  whole 
  course 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  adult, 
  showing 
  unmistakably 
  that 
  

   there 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  leap, 
  as 
  is 
  generally 
  affirmed, 
  from 
  smolt 
  to 
  

   grilse. 
  

  

  Another 
  feature 
  in 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  is 
  one 
  over 
  

   which 
  contention 
  still 
  continues 
  ; 
  that 
  is, 
  does 
  the 
  salmon 
  

   feed 
  in 
  fresh 
  water? 
  It 
  was 
  only 
  in 
  1898 
  that 
  an 
  extensive 
  

   series 
  of 
  experiments 
  were 
  conducted 
  under 
  the 
  auspices 
  of 
  

   the 
  Scottish 
  Fishery 
  Board, 
  and 
  published 
  as 
  a 
  Blue 
  Book. 
  

   In 
  that 
  series 
  the 
  conclusion 
  was 
  arrived 
  at 
  that 
  the 
  

   digestive 
  organs 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  while 
  in 
  the 
  river 
  are 
  function- 
  

   less. 
  These 
  experiments, 
  the 
  report 
  of 
  which 
  extends 
  to 
  

   176 
  pages, 
  seems 
  to 
  me 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  carried 
  on 
  in 
  a 
  way 
  

   that 
  proves 
  but 
  little. 
  I 
  cannot 
  see 
  that 
  to 
  take 
  the 
  stomach 
  

   and 
  intestines 
  of 
  salmon 
  and 
  place 
  them 
  in 
  strong 
  spirits 
  and 
  

   solutions 
  of 
  perchloride 
  of 
  mercury, 
  and 
  afterwards 
  examine 
  

   them 
  under 
  a 
  microscope, 
  can 
  prove 
  what 
  the 
  original 
  

   condition 
  of 
  such 
  preparations 
  had 
  been. 
  Treatment 
  of 
  

   animal 
  tissues 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  way 
  produces 
  changes 
  that 
  alter 
  

   their 
  condition 
  materially. 
  

  

  Again, 
  we 
  are 
  told 
  on 
  pp. 
  170-171 
  : 
  " 
  That 
  salmon 
  take 
  

   the 
  fly, 
  minnow, 
  or 
  other 
  shining 
  object 
  in 
  the 
  mouth 
  

   is 
  no 
  argument 
  as 
  to 
  their 
  feeding 
  in 
  this 
  sense. 
  That 
  

   they 
  may, 
  and 
  occasionally 
  do, 
  take 
  and 
  swallow 
  worms 
  

  

  