220 
BLUB POLL. 
these fishes was hailed as a sign of success, in the large number 
that was to follow. No description is given by which we might 
be certain of the species, bnt we suppose it to be the fish we 
are about to describe, since it is the only other one known 
among us that is not mentioned by this author. In the west of 
the kingdom the name of Blue Cap is applied by some fishermen 
to the Salmon in the first year of its growth, and thus it answers 
to what is known in the north of England by the name of Grilse; 
but the fishermen are prepared to acknowledge another fish with 
this name as a separate species, of examples of which we ofifer 
a figure and description obtained from the river Looe, in Cornwall; 
where it is known to anglers, but at this time scarcely to be 
obtained, as its visits from the sea are only made during the 
prohibited months of winter. Indeed, in the western counties 
the numbers at any time are but small; but we learn that in 
the Camel, which opens on the north of Cornwall, towards the 
entrance of the Bristol channel, in its season it is in sufficient 
abundance to have formed an object of attention to fishermen 
before a law existed which laid a penalty on the taking of them. 
From some unknown cause they do not increase in the rivers 
with which we are acquainted, but they are in large abundance 
in the north of England, and in Scotland Sh "W. Jardine found 
them in the summer in much greater numbers than any of the 
other species of the Salmon tribes. We suppose they frequent 
the rivers of Ireland also; but they have not yet been 
distinguished from the kindred species in that kingdom. 
In common with the other fishes of this family the Blue 
Poll sheds its spawn in December and January; but sometimes 
as early as October. It is said that the proportion of the sexes 
is unequal, there being more males than females; but both of 
them unite their efforts in forming a channel for the reception 
of the roe; which channel is less deep than that of the Salmon, 
and not so long. The young of this species are called Skirlings, 
but we suppose that this name is not strictly confined to them, 
but is common to several species. It appears certain that the 
adult Blue Poll docs not enter the Cornish rivers in the summer, 
although the want of a sufficient flow of water cannot be 
assigned as an hindrance to a fish of such comparatively small 
size. After spawning, we believe that they have all gone 
down to the sea before the end of F ebruary, or early in March. 
