140 SALMONIDES. 



seen them springing up these falls by scores, and 

 rarely have seen one miss its aim.'' 



The otter is a great destroyer of these fish, and 

 is a perfect epicure, after catching one, — he only- 

 bites out a piece between the head and the shoul- 

 ders, and leaves the remainder. " I have seen," 

 " says the same gentleman, " ten or twelve 

 dead salmon floating down the river Tay, in the 

 highlands of Scotland, in one morning, all of which 

 had been bitten in this way by tlie otter, and what 

 is very remarkable, these fish are always fat and 

 in prime condition. 



" Many of the poor cotters residing near the 

 streams and rivers of the highlands of Scotland 

 and Wales, subsist, in a great measure, in the sea- 

 son, upon these fish, which they pick up early in 

 the morning, as they float down the stream from 

 the otters' haunts." 



Salmon Trout, — Salmo Trutia. As we have 

 particularly devoted a considerable number of pa- 

 ges to the subject of angling, in which a reference 

 is made to all the varieties of the fresh and salt 

 water trout, known to the naturalist or the scien- 

 tific angler, in New England, it is our apology in 

 this place, for not being more minute and elabo- 

 rate in the following description. 



Nothing, therefore can be more perplexing than 

 attempting a classification : they have one com- 



