208 
SEWEN. 
Silver Salmon, besides names common to it with other fish. 
8cdino Ga/mbrwus, 
Donovan; pi. 91. 
It has been a commonly-received opinion, adopted without 
much inquiry, that the Sewen is only a variety of the Peal, 
and by many also that both these fishes are no other than an 
early stage of the Salmon, but modified perhaps by particular 
circumstances; and there is reason to believe that in many 
instances these species, and also the Sea and Salmon Trouts, 
have been confounded together; an unfortunate circumstance, 
as we have already hinted, for many poor fishermen, who have 
been convicted and severely punished for fishing with too 
small a mesh for the Lord of the Eiver in the open sea, 
when, in fact, none such could have been caught, and they 
were only in the hope of obtaining the smaller and less 
valuable fish. A portion of this mistake has arisen from the 
confusion of names by which these fishes have been designated, 
for it appears that in many places the Peal is called a 
Sewen, and the Sewen a White Trout or Peal, while the 
Salmon in its younger state may pass for either of them. 
But after having carefully examined these fishes, for the 
opportunity of doing which I am indebted to Edmund T. 
Higgins, Esq., I have come to the conclusion that the Sewen 
is a distinct species, as Donovan also thought, and in this 
light we treat of it accordingly. 
In Wales it is the general belief that this fish is not found 
anywhere but in that portion of the United Kingdom; and 
even there it is said that it is only met with in those rivers 
which run towards the west. It seems probable, also, that its 
