THE FOOD AND GAME FISHES OF NEW YORK. 



339 



to below hind margin of eye ; vomerines in two irregular series ; gill rakers about 

 20. Dorsal origin a little nearer tip of snout than to caudal base. The length of 

 the dorsal base is contained seven and one-half times in total without caudal, and 

 slightly exceeds longest dorsal ray ; last dorsal ray one-half as long as the longest. 

 Ventral origin is under middle of dorsal base; the fin is as long as the longest dorsal 

 ray ; the ventral appendage about as long as the eye; when the ventral is extended, 

 the distance of its tip from the vent is one-third of length of head. The anal base 

 is a little more than one-half as long as the head ; the longest anal ray equals the 

 longest dorsal ray ; the last ray is not quite so long as the eye. Adipose fin short, 

 its width nearly equal to its length and two-thirds of diameter of eye. B. 11 ; D. 11 

 divided rays and 4 rudiments; A. 10 divided rays and 3 rudiments. Scales 21 — 135 

 to 140 — 20. 



The upper parts usually greenish blue, sometimes purplish ; the sides more or 

 less silvery and profusely spotted with small black spots, which are most numerous 



RAINBOW TROUT — YOUNG. 



above the lateral line ; head, dorsal, adipose, and caudal fins also black spotted. 

 Sea-run specimens are uniform silvery without black spots. In the breeding season 

 the broad crimson lateral band becomes brighter, and the sides of both sexes are 

 iridescent purplish. The jaws of the male in the breeding season are not much 

 distorted, but they are very much larger than in the female. 



The Rainbow Trout is a native of the mountain streams of the Pacific coast and 

 ranges from California to Southern Alaska. A small example v/as taken at Sitka, in 

 1880, by Admiral 'L. A. Beardslee, U. S. N., and is now in the collection of the U. S. 

 National Museum. This trout is found chiefly in mountain streams west of the 

 Sierra Nevadas. It rarely descends into the lower stretches of the rivers, but 

 occasionally does so and passes out to sea. The Rainbow has been extensively 

 introduced into many Eastern States, but not with uniform success. In Wisconsin, 

 Michigan, Missouri and North Carolina it has been well acclimatized, and it is also 

 fairly established in New York. 



