I04 BULL TROUT. 



varieties the fishermen get from various parts of our coast. The Duke of Northumberland 

 tried to kill out the Trout in the river, from the year 1868 to 1871, but the attempt gave 

 general dissatisfaction to all classes, and destroyed the fishing on the sea coast so much, that 

 the fishermen had almost to give up the Trout fishing ; about seven or eight licences only 

 were taken out; now, I think, there are thirty-five, since the preservation of the Salmon Trout 

 during the last six years. The Duke of Northumberland, for that reason, is now of the general 

 opinion, that we can get no better fish into the river, and that we must increase and preserve 

 the Salmon Trout, and make the best of them as a food supply. The fishermen now kill 

 twenty times the quantity they could a few years ago. When in season, the flesh of this Trout 

 is pink; in June, July, and August, they get a very high deep pink." 



Mr. Dunbar on the other hand writes, "The Coquet grilse of the Bull Trout is far from being 

 anything like so good as the grilse, or, as it is called in the north, the finnock of the Sea 

 Trout; the Bull Trout grilse is of a very pale pink, and very dry, with little or no flavour, 

 while the grilse of the pure Sea Trout, Saliiio tntfta, is of a rich pink red and of excellent 

 flavour, equal to, if not better, than the grilse of Salmo salar. The Bull Trout is decidedly 

 the Salmo erio.x, and is distinct from the S. tnitta. I know several rivers in Norway, where 

 they are plentiful ; they seldom take a fly, though they will take the spinning bait well. It 

 is the same in the Coquet, they seldom take a fly, excepting when they are returning to the 

 sea as kelts." 



The opinion of various observers with respect to this Bull Trout is now before the reader. 

 The testimony as to the quality of its flesh, its character as a sporting fish, and its claim to 

 be considered a distinct species, is conflicting. Structurally it is not easy to find any impor- 

 tant difference between this fish and the Salmo trutta; and so high an authority as Dr. Giinther 

 would lead one to accept his verdict. 



The fin-ray formula is 



Dorsal 12. 

 Pectoral i-|.. 

 Ventral 0. 

 Anal r i . 



The Specimen figured was caught in the Coquet near Rothbur\\ Northumberland. 



