Cut- Throat Trout 215 



of which was at once sent to Washington, D.C., 

 for identification, where it was pronounced to be 

 the cut-throat trout {Salmo purpiiratus was its 

 technical name at that time, more than ten years 

 ago). Every fish taken on my rod was exactly 

 alike in form and coloration, and each had the 

 broad crimson band along the lateral line. 

 Doubtless, the Spokane River has become de- 

 populated of these fishes, for apparently there 

 were no female cut-throats in it to continue the 

 species, as my companion's rod and my own cap- 

 tured not less than three or four score of these 

 trout, and, according to the authorities, there was 

 not a single representative of the gentle sex 

 among them. A somewhat similar experience 

 occurred on one of my Western outings on the 

 Bitter Root River in Montana. 



The habits of the cut-throat trout are similar to 

 those of his Eastern brother, the red-spotted trout 

 (foniiftalis). Wherever a pool existed, created by 

 an offshoot from the main stream, wherein a shelv- 

 ing rock or overhanging trees formed a sheltering 

 or shady nook, we always found a single cut-throat 

 of good size, sovereign of the domain from which 

 he had driven the grayling and the whitefish. In 

 the larger pools, caused by the subsidence of the 



