114 SALMONID.E. 



parts, changing into reddish grey, and thence into fine orange 

 yellow on the breast and belly. The whole body, when the 

 fish is newly caught, appears as if glazed over with a thin 

 tint of rich lake colour, which fades away as the fish dies, 

 and so rapidly, that the progressive changes of colour are 

 easily perceived by an attentive eye. The gill-covers are 

 marked with large dark spots ; and the whole body is covered 

 with markings of different sizes, and varying in number in 

 different individuals. In some these markings are few, scat- 

 tered, and of a large size ; in others they are thickly set, and 

 of smaller dimensions. Each spot is surrounded by a paler 

 ring, which sometimes assumes a reddish hue ; and the spots 

 become more distant from each other as they descend be- 

 neath the lateral line. The lower parts of these fish are spot- 

 less. The dorsal fin is of the same colour with the upper 

 part of the fish ; it is marked with large dark spots ; the pec- 

 toral, ventral, and anal fins are of a rich yellowish green 

 colour, darker towards their extremities. The tail is remark- 

 able for its breadth and consequent power. In adults it is 

 perfectly square, or might even be described as slightly 

 rounded at its extremity : in the young it is slightly forked, 

 and appears to fill up gradually as the fish advances in age/' 



" The flavour of this great lacustrine species is coarse and 

 indifferent. The colour of the flesh is orange yellow, not 

 the rich salmon-colour of a fine Common Trout in good 

 season." Pennant states from experience that it is but an 

 indifferent fish. The stomach is very capacious, and is al- 

 most always found gorged Avith fish. I have not had an 

 opportunity of ascertaining the number of vertebrae. 



The form of the scales is decidedly different from that of 

 the Trout, and more circular than those of any of the migrat- 

 ing species : they are thin, flexible, and covered with a 

 delicate membrane. 



I have reason to believe that this same species of Great 



