THE SAL :J0N TR O UTS. 



(id. European species ; brown, with large brown or black, sometimes red, spots ; opercles with 

 rather numerous dark spots. 

 /. Body rather stout ; maxilla very strong and dilated ; vomerine teeth in a double series, 

 gill-rakers 8-12; ccECa 41-42; vertebra 57-58, persistent. 



S./ario. The Bkown Tkout of Europe. 

 ff. Body rather slender ; maxilla narrow and feeble ; vomerine teeth cajca 60-80 ; verte- 

 bra; 59, uniserial, persistent. S. Icvenensis. The Loch-leve.v Trout. 

 cc. Scales small, about 170, gill-rakers 8-9-13; caeca 40-50. S. spilurus. The Rio Grande Trout. 

 ob. Hyoid teeth. 



g. Back and sides everywhere black spotted, silvery in sea run examples. 

 !i. Head short; scales not more than 170, gill-rakers 8-12; cceca 20. 



S. />2irpuratus. The Rocky Mountain Tkout. 

 hh. Head long, conical ; scales sometimes 184, gill-rakers 9.14; coeca 50-60. 



S. Hejishaivi. The Lake Tahoe Trout. 

 S:^. Sides anteriorly with few black spots ; scales about 200. 



z. Head long, with medium keel ; gill-rakers 7-12. S. pletiritkus. 

 a. Head shorter, without keel. S. stomias. The Kansas River Trout. 



The Salmo Gairdncri, of Richardson, is usually known as the "Steel- 

 head." The name " Hard-head " is sometimes applied to it, and it is 

 known to the Russians as " Seomga. The name " Mykiss " is said to 

 have been in former years in use in Kamtchatka. Large individuals are 

 often called "Salmon Trout." The Indian name "Humaana " is said to 

 be given to it on the Upper Columbia. It reaches the weight of twenty- 

 two pounds, the average weight when fully grown being about sixteen. 

 Young specimens have not very often been captured. It is found alwavs, 

 from the' Sacramento river northward at least to Kodiak, Alaska, close to 

 the coast. In the Columbia and Frazer Rivers it occurs in abundance in 

 the spring at the time of the Salmon run. Gravid females were taken by 

 Bean at Sitka in June. The species sometimes e.xceeds 25 pounds in 

 weight. None have yet been noticed to the eastward of the Cascade 

 Range, and as far as appearances go it is a permanent inhabitant of river 

 mouths. It probably spawns late in the fall or in the winter, as many of 

 those taken at the first run of the Salmon are spent fish, with the flesh 

 white and worthless. 



Its history, writes Jordan, is still obscure. According to Pallas, it 

 migrates singly, from June to September ; some remaining all the year in 

 the rivers, returning to the sea in May. It feeds in the fresh waters, on 

 any living thing. Hence, unlike the other Trout, wdiich during the ascent 

 of the rivers grow^ lean with fasting, breeding, and exertion, this species 

 is plump and well fed, and, with Salvcliniis inalma only, does not i)erish 

 in the winter. Elsewhere than in the Columbia this species is highly 

 valued as a food-fish. When taken in the Columbia, in spring, little or no 



