PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
131 
plants and vegetables are packed away, stored, and sheltered, and throughout the 
winter the gardens present dreary scenes of desolation. At the end of April the 
thaw hurries all into arrangement 5 and, with the vigour of the sun, vegetation 
bursts forth like a thought; and, during the few months of summer, the gardens 
are as gay as those in the neighbourhood of London. The severity of a winter in¬ 
fluences a corresponding heat in the ensuing summer, and from the observations 
made by Mr. Erman (Humboldt, Asie centrale), such severe winters are followed 
by warm and dry summers. M. L. C. Seitz, Royal Court and Botanic Gardener 
at Munich, remarks in the “ Garten Zeitung,” for August, 1838, with reference to 
the severity of the winter of 1837-38—“ We experienced an almost insupportable 
heat during the months of June and July, when the thermometer continually varied 
between 23 degs. and 25 degs. of Reamur (80 degs. to 85 degs. Fahrenheit). On 
the 15 th of July, at two o’clock in the afternoon, it was 26—25 degs. Reamur (90 
degs. Fahrenheit).” 
Mr. Callwell observed that in his large fernery he had noted, within the house, the 
thermometer to fall to 18 degs. Neither Trichomanes nor Adiantum capillus 
veneris suffered in the least. He attributed this to the temperature being in some 
degree uniform, and to the stillness of the atmosphere. 
Observations followed from the Chairman, Mr. Bain, and other members. 
Mr. Andrews exhibited specimens of the Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita), in a 
lively and healthy state. They had buried themselves throughout the winter under 
some saxifrages in his garden, and appeared early in May. They were brought 
from the County of Kerry last summer. 
The Chairman remarked that as Mr. Ffennell was not present to give his paper 
“ On the Salmon, and on peculiarities with regard to the Young State,” he wished 
to know if the members had any other subject to discuss ? 
Mr. Andrews said that Mr. Ffennell had recently mentioned to him that his 
paper was prepared, and that he had some important facts to communicate relative 
to the descent of the salmon fry to the sea, at a very early period of this year. 
As Mr. Ffennell was absent, probably upon public business, Mr. Williams had 
requested Mr. Andrews to make some remarks on specimens of the Parr, which he 
had that morning received from the Bandon River. 
Mr. Andrews then said, that a statement, made more than five years since in 
this Society, by Mr. Williams, may be in the recollection of several of the members^ 
on the distinctive habits of the little fish known as the Parr (Salmo salmulus) from 
that of the true salmon fry, and with regard to the rivers and localities where that 
little fish existed. Discussions upon this subject were at several subsequent sessions 
of the Society continued. These led to the paper that I gave upon the subject, at 
the meeting of the 16th of June last year, 1854. I should premise, Mr. Chairman, 
by stating, that the majority of opinions were in opposition to the views given in 
that paper, those opinions being in support of the presumed successful experiments 
made by Mr. John Shaw, of Drumlanrig, and published in 1840, the results of 
his several communications read before the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Mr. 
Shaw and his numerous adherents maintained, until very recently, that the fry, ihe 
produce of the ova of the salmon, remained two years in the fresh water, in the 
state called the parr, before it assumed the smolt transition, and descended to the 
sea. There were other points advanced by him, such as the early breeding de¬ 
velopment of the male parr. Having formerly been resident for several years in 
the western parts of Ireland, and in all seasons practically fishing some of the best 
salmon and trout rivers in that country, and in companionship with some of the 
most experienced salmon fishers, and latterly having turned my observations to 
the science of the subject, I felt that I might, with some confidence, detail the 
views that I had formed in the paper given by me twelve months since. The prin¬ 
cipal points were, that the salmon fry assumed the smolt or migratory state, and 
descended to the sea, from eleven to fourteen months after extrication from the ova— 
that is, the young fish hatched and liberated from the ova in the month of April, 
1854, would assume the smolt state at the same period, or a month later, and de¬ 
scend to the sea, in 1855. That fish, described as the parr, would be found in 
rivers, throughout the seasons, of good size, and after the salmon-fry, as smolts 
had descended to the sea. There were parr similar in markings to the salmon-fry, 
