COMMON TROUT. 1,7 



which he fed many Trout, one of which, weighing three pounds and a half, had been caught 

 in a river not far distinct; its size and strength soon enabled it to become the master of all the 

 other fish that were in the stew before him. "In about a year this fish, which had received 

 the name of Fuller, and was an object of particular attention, had grown to about nine pounds, 

 five of which had been added to his weight between March and October, at which date its 

 length was twenty-seven inches. Its appetite was great, as was its activity ; and the body was 

 beautifully spotted. The food, which was not always abundantly bestowed, was worms, minnows, 

 or the entrails of a calf, finely chopped ; but unless much pressed by hunger, it neglected 

 them by day. It is an hour before dark that it begins to move about, and then Fuller begins 

 to exercise his tyranny over the rest. He chooses to feed alone on the food thrown to him, 

 and not at all in haste ; but when he looks round all the smaller Trout dart off into their 

 hiding places, at which time he sails round to see that they have all withdrawn, and he 

 repeats the circuit at every little interval of his feeding. About one hundred and twenty-five 

 minnows formed the complement of a meal, and in devouring these, woe be to any one of the 

 smaller tribe that ventured to intrude, except, indeed, a single favourite, which he appeared 

 to have selected for a companion. It was only when the feast was ended that others were 

 permitted to scramble for what was left. The greatest amount of activity was when the wind 

 was brisk. Fuller's fate was at last unfortunate, in being stolen from the stew." 



The Common Trout sometimes attains a large size. Thames fish have been caught 

 which weighed fifteen to sixteen pounds, and more. Weybridge, Sunbury, Marlow Weir, and 

 Richmond are mentioned as some of the best localities for Thames Trout. I have alluded 

 before to the Lough Neagh fish ; having been caught in the deep waters of the lake in nets, 

 they are brought during the season in great quantities, in boats, to Toome Bridge, County 

 Antrim, and thence are despatched, packed with ice in large boxes, by the railways and 

 steamboats to London, Liverpool, Manchester, and many other large towns. Trout of twelve, 

 eighteen, and twenty pounds are not unfrequently taken. 



What produces the beautiful pink or red flesh of a Trout in good condition is at present 

 a matter of conjecture. "Chemistry," as Dr. Giinther says, "has not supplied us yet with 

 an analysis of the substance which gives the pink colour to the flesh of manv Salmonoids ; 

 but there is little doubt that it is identical with, and produced by, the red pigments of 

 many salt- and fresh-water Crustacea, which form a favourite food for these fishes." — (P. 3.) 

 I confess I do not myself feel at all certain on this point. 



Monstrosities in Trout sometimes occur. We meet with young fish with two heads, with 

 humped backs, with their bodies twisted round their umbilical vesicle; Siamese-twin fish, with 

 one tail, and one umbilical bag between them, etc. Generally these "monstrosities" live but 

 a short time. The deformed Trout, however, whose figure-head is given by Yarrell, some- 

 times grow to half a pound in weight. The head is short and round, and the upper jaw 

 is apparently absent ; the lower jaw projects considerably beyond the truncated upper, 

 causing the fish to have a very unsightly appearance. Mr. Yarrell's specimen was from Loch 

 Dow; I learn from Mr. Haynes, of Cork, that similar deformed Trouts have been killed by 

 him in County Cork and County Clare ; he has sent me an ink sketch, which exactly 

 resembles Yarrell's woodcut, only the upper jaw is still more elongated; Mr. Haynes has seen 

 three specimens of these fish. 



The two forms of Salmo fario have already been mentioned. 



The fin-ray formula is, according to Giinther, — 



S. fario gaimardi. — Dorsal 13 — \\. 

 Pectoral 14. 

 Ventral 9. 

 Anal II — 12. 



The pyloric cceca are 33 — 46. Vertebra; 59 — 60. 



