FOREST, LAKE, AND RIVER 



on the hyoid bone, between the lower extremities 

 of the first two gill arches ; the absence of mot- 

 tling on the dark sea-green back, and excessively 

 developed fins ; inconspicuous yellow spots, with- 

 out blue areola ; a square or slightly emarginate 

 tail ; a small and delicately shaped head, diminu- 

 tive, aristocratic mouth, liquid, planetary eyes, and 

 a generally graceful build ; a phenomenally bril- 

 liant nuptial coloration, recalling the foreign 

 appellations of ** blood-red charr," " gilt charr," 

 and " golden saibling." As the October pairing- 

 time approaches, the Sunapee fish becomes illumi- 

 nated with the flushes of maturing passion. The 

 steel-green mantle of the back and shoulders now 

 seems to dissolve into a veil of amethyst through 

 which the daffodil spots of mid-summer gleam 

 out in points of flame, while below the lateral 

 line all is dazzling orange. The fins catch the 

 hue of the adjacent parts, and pectoral, ventral, 

 anal, and lower lobe of caudal, are marked with 

 a lustrous white band. 



It is a unique experience to watch this Ameri- 

 can saibling spawning on the Sunapee shallows. 

 Here, in all the magnificence of their nuptial 

 decoration, flash schools of painted beauties, cir- 

 cling in proud sweeps about the submerged 

 boulders they would select as the scenes of their 



154 



