THE SALMON. 
55 
it at both ends. In the last week of July last, ( 1844,) a grilse 
of from five to six pounds weight, was caught at the shore- 
side fishery near Berwick, by James M’Queen, fisherman, 
and in the tail was a piece of wire twisted at both ends, as 
described. M’Queen did not preserve the wire, but is satis- 
fied in his own mind that it was brass, and of the description 
inserted m the fry by Mr. Keras. There can therefore 
scarcely be a doubt that it was one of the fry marked by the 
latter, and pro\*es to a demonstration, that the fry occupy a 
much longer period in arriving at a state of maturity than has 
been generally supposed.” 
This extraordinary fish grows to a very large size. Hof- 
land says, the largest ever heard of in England was sold in the 
London market, and weighed 83 pounds. This may be true: 
but it reminds us of the story of the crabs. A foreigner in 
Great Britain, conversing with one of the sons of that island, 
(where every thing is better, larger, and greater than in 
any other part of creation,) jocularly remarked, that in his 
country, he had seen crabs that weighed 500 pounds each. 
“ Impossible,” retorted Johnny Bull, in his characteristic 
style, “ we have as large crabs in our country as in any other, 
and I never saw one that weighed over 150 pounds ” ! ! Still, 
Hofland may be correct ; but there are many Brother Jona- 
thans that will think of the crab story, and rather doubt the 
authenticity of the 83 pound salmon. In this country, the 
largest ever known weighed about 40 pounds, which must 
have been a fry compared with that “ sold at the London 
market.” 
The common length of tho salmon is from two to three and 
a half feet, except when of the extraordinary English weight 
mentioned, when they would probably measure five or six feet. 
They are of a beautiful silver gray color, running into white on 
the belly and blue on the back, and are marked with numerous 
irregular dark and copper colored spots. The male is gener 
