THE CALIFORNIAN SALMON. 
117 
their journey to the sea in May, return to the rivers to 
spawn in four or five months after reaching the sea, 
having attained a weight of four or five pounds ; while their 
brothers and sisters of the same age remain in the river, as 
parrs of two or three ounces in weight. The young salmon, 
on its first return from the sea, is called a “ grilse after 
it has deposited its spawn, it falls oif in condition, and is 
then unfit for the table, and loses greatly in weight. It 
returns to the sea, and on its next ascent, in the following 
season, is called a “ salmon,” and will then weigh ten or 
twelve pounds. It is believed that the transformations 
and habits of the Salmo trutta and Salmo eriooo are similar 
to those of the true salmon, but these fish do not attain to 
the same size. 
The Salmo salar, when detained in fresh water, has its 
growth greatly checked. In Scotland, some salmon fry, 
three to four inches long, were put in a pond, in April, 
1831, some of which were caught in the summer of 1833, 
two to three pounds weight. The flesh was of the best 
colour, but rather pale. 
From experiments made by Mr. Shaw, who was head 
keeper to the Duke of Buccleuch, at Drumlanrig Castle, 
the rate of growth of the salmon has been clearly ascer- 
tained, by marking the smolts with silver wire, or by 
notches on the adipose fin, to identify them on their 
return from the sea, and many disputed questions about 
the salmon have thus been set at rest. 
It was for a long period believed that the parr was a 
distinct fish from the salmon, although the absence of ova 
in any individual instance was a strong argument against 
this supposition. 
Salmon increase in size every succeeding year, and it 
was no uncommon thing at one time to get salmon of 
thirty pounds weight, but few of that size are now caught. 
