OSSEOUS FISHES. 
555 
black spot is usually observable in the middle of the speculum. The 
belly is of a line diaphanous blue in the parr” (Fig. 378). 
Dr. Bertram gives a very clear and intelligible account of the early 
days of the salmon, 'which was at one time veiled in mystery : “ The 
spawn, deposited by the parent fish in October, November, and 
December, lies in the river till about April or May, when it quickens 
into life. I have already described the changes apparent in the 
salmon’s egg, from the time of its fructification till tire birth of the 
fish. The infant fry are of course very helpless, and are seldom seen 
during the first week or two of their existence, when they carry about 
with them, as a provision for food, a portion of the egg from whence 
they emanated. At that time the fish is about half an inch in size, 
and presents such a singular appearance that no person seeing it 
would ever believe that it would grow into a fine grilse or salmon. 
About fifty days is required lor the animal to assume the shape of a 
perfect fish ; before that time it might be taken for anything else than 
a young salmon. At the end of two years it has changed into a 
smolt. After eating up its umbilical bag, which it takes a period of 
twenty to forty days to accomplish, the young salmon may be seen 
about its birthplace, timid and weak, hiding about the stones, and 
always apparently of the same colour as the surroundings of its 
sheltering place. The transverse bars of the parr, however, speedily 
become apparent, and the fish begins to grow with considerable rapidity, 
especially if it is to be a twelvemonth smolt, and this is very speedily 
seen at such a place as the Stormouthfield ponds. The young fish 
continue to grow for a little longer than two years before the whole 
number make the change from parr to smolt, and seek the salt water. 
Half the number of any one hatching begin to change at a little over 
twelvemonths from the date of their coming to life. And thus there 
is the extraordinary anomaly of fish of the same hatching being at one 
and the same time parr of half an ounce in weight, and grilse weigh- 
ing four pounds. The smolts of the first year return from the sea, 
while their brothers and sisters are timidly disporting in the breeding 
shallows of the upper streams.” 
It thus appears that, in its first stage, the Young Salmon (Fig. 377) 
is called a parr : during the second it is a smolt. AYhile they continue 
in the state of parr they lead a secluded life, totally unable to endure 
salt water, which would kill them. When they have become smolts 
