Classification 205 



our fish fauna must be based upon anatomical 

 lines, the structure of internal organs ; for to de- 

 pend upon the difference in individual fishes in 

 shape, coloration, size of the head at certain 

 stages of growth, spread and shape of tail, or vari- 

 ation in weight, would be like building up a new 

 classification for the human family based upon 

 the phrenological lines of the head, size and flop 

 of ears, pedal spread, freckles or no freckles, 

 excessive youthful growth or height or rotundity 

 in individuals. 



From this rich but somewhat incongruous 

 material at their command, ichthyologists have 

 classified the trouts of American waters into 

 salmon-trouts and charr-trouts. None of the 

 former is indigenous to the waters east of the 

 Mississippi River, and but one of the latter — 

 the Dolly Varden — is a native of the Pacific 

 slope. The lake trout (a large, coarse charr) is 

 found in Eastern waters, and northwest as far as 

 the Arctic Circle ; and in this connection anglers 

 should bear in mind that the word " trout " in 

 general use and so indiscriminately employed to 

 designate all species of their favorite fish, should 

 be discarded : the " trout " {Salvelinus), so called, 

 of Eastern waters are all charrs except the 



