212 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



t 



The following account of the life-coloration of Salmo 

 beardsleei is given by Mr. George E. Mitchell. 



" The Blue-back Trout caught in Lake Crescent are 

 on the back a deep dark-blue ultra-marine color of a 

 peculiar transparency, dotted with small round black spots 

 from the size of a pin's head to a little larger. The two 

 fins on the top of the back are a dark smoky color, also 

 dotted as on back end and are transparent. The tail is 

 the color and transparency with dots also — same as the 

 top fins. The side fins and the bottom fins are dead white 

 and sometimes faintly tinged with a pinkish hue at the 

 edges; the belly is white. Looking at the fish sideways 

 the sides of the fish show the scales to be iridescent, the 

 red flash predominating. The head has very much the 

 polish of mother-of-pearl around the lower jaws and jowls, 

 red and pale blue colors predominating; under the eyes 

 a few black spots; on top of head the blue much darker 

 than on top of back — so dark in fact that the black spots 

 on it look blacker than the rest. The nearer the shore 

 these fish are caught the lighter the blue on back, the 

 fish often having an impression of the surroundings dis- 

 tinctly marked on them." 



The following notes are added by Admiral Beardslee : 



HABITS. 



The Blueback is a deep water dweller; those taken by 

 me in late October were caught at depths varying from 

 30 to 50 feet, on large spoons. They fought hard until 

 brought near surface, then gave up, and when landed 

 were found puffed up with air. Specimens taken in 

 spring and put in pools in mountain streams with other 

 trout died very soon, while the others lived. The trout 

 caught by Mr. Mitchell, in March, was taken near bottom, 

 by a large spoon, and it is not on record that at so early 

 a date one has previously been caught. 



