SALMO FARIO. 289 



The Norwegian names for the River Trout are Fjalloret and Fjalloring. 

 It ranges from Lapland to Scania, being found in the rivers and lakes of the 

 Fjalls. In Germany, where it is known as Bachforelle, its distribution has 

 become restricted. The longest Continental specimens, reaching seventeen 

 inches, have been found in Jutland. Specimens fifteen inches long have been 

 taken at Wellington, in Shropshix-e. The largest Trout recorded in the 

 Tweed and northern rivers weighs from five to seven pounds ; but exceptional 

 fishes, taken in Yorkshire, have weighed seventeen pounds, and measured 

 thirty-one inches. The female attains maturity at a length of seven or eight 

 inches. 



The body, according to Giinther, is rather short and compressed, with 

 the head relatively small and well-shaped. Excluding the caudal fin, the 

 fish is five times as long as deep, and less than four times as long as the head. 

 The pre-operculum is nearly crescent-shaped, and the lower limb when pre- 

 sent is indistinct ; the snout is blunt, conical, and of moderate length. The 

 maxillary bone is broad and stout, usually longer than the snout, extending as 

 far back as the posterior border of the eye. The teeth are not conspicuously 

 large, and are smallest on the maxillary bone. Those on the vomer are in a 

 double row, sometimes becoming zigzag, but with a single transverse row on the 

 triangular head of the bone, completing the arch of the teeth on the palatine 

 bones. 



The inter-orbital space has a conspicuous median ridge, but is rather 

 flattened. 



The dorsal ^n\ commences in front of the middle of the body; it is 

 higher than long. The anal fin may be twice as high as long. The ventral 

 fin commences under the hinder part of the dorsal, and does not reach to the 

 vent, nor does the pectoral extend near to the ventral. The caudal fin is trun- 

 cated, sometimes concave, sometimes with the lower lobe rounded. 



There are fifteen rows of scales, extending from the adipose fin forward to 

 the lateral line, but frequently there are more than one hundred and twenty 

 transverse series of scales. The scales are rounded, with concentric striping, 

 and without any median ridge. 



The back and sides are greenish-brown, but the belly is a dirty white. 

 Numerous X-shaped or round black spots extend along the top and sides 

 of the head and the middle part of the sides of the fish. The spots are always 

 round on the opercular bones. The dorsal, adipose, and caudal fins are generally 

 filled with black spots, and the dorsal, anal, and ventral each have a white 

 outer edge, margined with black. 



The habits of the fish are rather nocturnal, or, at least, it is much more 

 active in the evening and night, when it moves with caution, and yet with 

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