Fish Study 



165 



is reddish, in others whitish. All the fins on the lower side of the body 

 have the front edges creamy or yellowish white, with a darker streak 

 behind. 



The trout's head is quite large and somewhat blunt. The large eye is 

 a little in front of the middle of the head. The dorsal fin is at about the 

 middle of the body, and when raised is squarish in outline. Behind the 

 dorsal fin, and near to the tail is the little, fleshy adipose fin, so called 

 because it has no rays. The tail is fan-shaped, slightly notched at the end 

 and is large and strong. The anal fin is rather large, being shaped much 

 like the dorsal fin, only slightly smaller. The ventral fins are directly 

 below the dorsal fin and a little behind its middle. The pectorals are 

 low down, being below and just behind the gill arches. 



Where the trout hide. 



In size the brook trout seldom is longer than seven or eight inches, but 

 in the rivers of the Northeastern United States specimens weighing from 

 six to eleven pounds are sometimes taken. It does not flourish in water 

 which is warmer than 68, but prefers a temperature of about 50. It 

 must have the pure water of mountain streams and cannot endure water 

 of rivers which is polluted by mills or the refuse of cities. Where it has 

 access to streams that flow into the ocean, it forms the salt water habit, 

 going out to sea and remaining there during the winter. Such specimens 

 become very large. 



The trout can lay eggs when about six inches in length. The eggs are 

 laid from September until late November, although, as Mr. Bream says, 

 the brook trout are spawned at some locality in almost every month of the 

 year except mid-summer. One mother trout lays from 400 to 600 eggs, 

 but the large-sized ones lay more. The period of hatching depends upon 

 the temperature of the water. In depositing their eggs the trout seek 

 water with gravelly bottom, often where some mountain brook opens into 



