512 Bulletin ^7, United States National Museum. 



none; some, large spots; others, small— yellow, orange, and red — aud singularly, in certain 

 specimens, each spot is surroiiuded by a white ring or halo. The fins take their color from the 

 back aud sides, and have the broad white band. The foreign sa'ibling is gregarious like the 

 Sunapee form ; lives similarly on crustaceans, worms, and fish-food, and seeks the deepest and 

 coldest waters. 



The greater the altitude the more intense the coloration and the smaller the fish. In Lake 

 Zug the saibling run 8 or 9 to the pound; in Lake Geneva, they are said to attain a weight 

 of over 20 po.inds. The flesh is white or red, which, however, makes no difference in the flavor. 

 The foreign saibling is taken in nets, or with hook and line; it is eaten fresh or smoked. 



In Forest and Stream, Jan. 22, 1891, Dr. Jordan gave his reasons for thinking with Bean, Quack- 

 enbos, and others that the Sunapee trout is a native variety of SalvcUnus a/jjiniis, as follows: 

 " For some time past ichthyologists and anglers alike have been deeply interested in the' question 

 of the name and origin of the splendid trout of Sunapee Lake. Is it a distinct and peculiar spe- 

 cies which has always been with us, or is it simply the European charr or saibling which has been 

 lately brought over from Europe ? Two of our highest ichthyological authorities have expressed 

 themselves with some positiveness in regard to this matter. Dr. Tarleton H. Bean, of the United 

 States Fish Commission, has described the fish in question as a distinct species, under the name 

 of Salrelimis aureolus, while Mr. Samuel Garman, of the Museum of Comparative Zotilogy, has 

 declared it to be fully identical with the European Sahdinus alpinus, the charr, saibling, saibling 

 or ombre chevalier of the rivers and lakes of northern Europe. On the supposition of the identity 

 of the Sunapee trout with the European form, its occurrence in the lakes of Maine has been 

 attributed to a recent plant of saibling eggs brought from Germany by the United States Fish 

 Commission. The possibility that this trout is a hybrid between the saibling and the European 

 trout or brown trout {Salmo fario), has been also suggested. 



The study of the species of charr is a very difficult one. The specific differences are slight 

 and the individual variations surprisingly great. The presence of a large amount of material is 

 necessary in order to reach any conclusion. Those conclusions which now seem to me probable 

 I wish to present in the most modest manner possible, for they are liable to be wholly overturned 

 when the waters between Maine and Greenland are more fully explored. 



For the purposes of the present study. Dr. Bean has very kindly lent me a considerable 

 amount of material, from the Xational Museum, by consent of Dr. Goode. This consists of the 

 following specimens: 



Snlvelinus alpiims — 10249, from Europe; 17456 (two specimens), Bergen; 39924, Sterling Lake, 

 New Jersey (introduced). 



Sah-elinus aiireo^is— From Sunapee Lake, 37408, 37409, 37410, 39334, 39335, 39900. 



Saheliniis — A hybrid of Salvelinus alpinus, male with Salmo fario, female, 2 years old, received 

 from Norway, 17451. 



Sah-elinus {nitidiis) — 34384, Disco, Greenland. 



Sah-elinus (aro/iirtts)— 30097, mouth of St. Lawrence Eiver; 37670, lake near Quebec. 



Besides these specimens I have received several specimens of Sah-elinus aureolus from Sunapee 

 Lake and Dan Hole Pond, through the kindness of Mr. A. N. Cheney and others. From Dr. 

 Bean I have also specimens of S. oquassa from Kangeley Lake, and of S. fonlinalisagaxsizii, from 

 Monadnock Lake. There is, however, no present question of the distinctness of the Sunapee 

 trout from either foulinalis or oijumsa, though its relations to the latter are very close. 



From the material in hand the fflllowing conclusions seem justifiable, and I am pleased to 

 find that these results agree in the main with the observations both of Dr. Bean and of Mr. 

 Garman. 



1. In comparing the specimens of aureolus with those of alpinus I find a very close agreement 

 in all external respects, some of the specimens in hand coinciding, as Mr. Garman has noticed, 

 in almost every detail with one of Dr. F. A. Smitt's colored figures of aljnnus from Sweden. I 

 find, however, the following distinctions constant in these specimens, these differences being 

 substantially those already pointed out by Dr. Bean. 



In aureolus the gill rakers, 6 — 11 or 6 + 12 in number, are quite short, less than J^ diameter 

 of eye, and angularly bent outward, the oldest specimens having them shortest in proportion and 

 most curved. 



In alpinus the gill rakers are 7 -f 15 or 7 + 14 in number, longer and straighter than in aureo- 

 lus, f length of eye in specimens of the same leugth as those of aureolus measured. In form of 

 gill rakers and in all other respects the specimen from Sterling Lake introduced (from Germany) 

 agrees fully with the Norwegian saiblings. 



