856 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
adopt, their bright dress. The Parr markings and the 
red spots slowly disappear, and the sides of the body 
at the same time exchange their orange ground-colour 
for a brighter and brighter silvery lustre, caused by 
the depositing of a silvery pigment on the inner sur- 
face of the scales and opercula. Now, and not until 
now, do the scales begin to be quite distinct. Young 
Salmon of this age are known in England as Smolts. 
Great irregularity, however, may be observed in the 
growth of these Parrs and the consequent alteration of 
colour. At Stor month eld, among a brood excluded from 
eggs impregnated at the end of December, 1861, and 
hatched in April, 1862, were found on the 1st of April, 
1868“, some specimens 54 mm. long and \ l grammes 
in weight, others 92 mm. long and 3 3 /4 grin, in weight, 
and others 165 mm. long and 37 1 / 4t grm. in weight. 
Only the last were Smolts, and these would probably 
have migrated to the sea the same season, the others 
not until the following year or even the year after 
that. 
The alteration in the colouring of young Trout 
after the Parr stage is generally not great, provided 
that they belong to a race which is either unable or 
has no inclination to enter salt water. They assume 
a dress in which they are known as Foreller (Eng. 
River Trout, Common Trout), and which they may 
retain in small, land-locked waters almost unchanged 
throughout their life. Under these conditions their 
growth too is inconsiderable, v. Weight’s figure (Plate 
XL, fig. 2) represents a common Scandinavian Forell. 
The orange ground-colour of the sides and the red 
spots on the lateral line — each surrounded here by a 
more distinct, light ring — are persistent; and both 
above and below the lateral line there appear similar 
spots, scattered over the sides of the body 6 . At the 
same time the number and extent of the dark (black) 
spots on the back and head are generally increased, 
these spots now occurring even down the sides, while 
the Parr markings disappear. The dorsal fin also shows 
an increased number of black spots, and in this fin 
— but more commonly in the ventral and anal fins 
alone — the anterior margin sometimes becomes red or 
white, which colour is usually marked off sharply be- 
hind, as in the Charrs, by a black streak. The young 
Trout which are to repair to the sea or the great lakes 
assume, like the Salmon Parrs, a lighter, more and 
more silvery dress. 
In salt water, as well as in the great lakes, the 
main alteration in the colouring of the Salmons after 
the Forell (Smolt) stage affects the black spots, which 
pass from a round or irregularly angular shape to a 
stellate form (X-spots). As a rule, however, though 
by no means always, the two varieties may be distin- 
guished even in the sea by their coloration, the Sea 
Trout being usually more thickly spotted than the true 
Salmon, and bearing numerous black spots even below 
the lateral line and on the greater part of the body, 
even behind. Such is the case with the Taimen from 
Tornea figured by v. Weight (Plate XXXVIII, fig. 3). 
Under certain conditions, however, especially in the 
sterile individuals mentioned above and in the speci- 
mens which should probably be explained as hybrids 
(mongrels), this difference vanishes. Nor is there any 
constant distinction in colouring between the marine 
form known in England as the Sewin ( Salmo cambri- 
cus ) and a true Salmon. How this distinction asserts 
itself in Scandinavian waters, may be gathered from 
a comparison between v. Weight’s figures of a Salmon 
(Plate XXXVIII, fig. 1) and a Silver Salmon (Plate 
XXXVIII, fig. 2). 
The Salmon which have no access to the sea or 
to any large, deep, and clear lake — whose Oring and 
Lax stages are thus more immediate progressions from 
the Forell stage — are remarkable for the exceeding 
inconstancy of their colours, whence Lunel proposed 
to unite them under a distinct specific name, Trutta 
variabilis. In Scandinavia, as elsewhere, they occur in 
brooks, rivers, and lakes. They are usually small, 1 / 2 
— 1 lb. in weight, but frequently weigh 10 lbs., some- 
times up to 18 lbs. Their coloration — lighter (redder) 
or darker (sometimes nearly black), with denser or 
more scattered red and black spots — is determined, 
as in most fishes, primarily by the colour and light 
of their surroundings, but also, in a high degree, by 
their food. Of this as clear evidence as one could 
desire was afforded by a visit in 1883 to Sir James 
Maitland’s hatcheries at Howietown (near Stirling).. 
Two of the ponds contained, among other fishes, a 
variety of Trout from Loch Leven ( Salmo levenensis ). 
In one pond, where they were fed on horseflesh, the 
“ See The Field for the 25th of April, 1863. 
b Red spots above the lateral line are not uncommon in young Salmon. 
