52 FISHES OF THE CONNECTICUT LAKES. 



July 16: In a spring rivulet tributary of main inlet not far above 

 its mouth, several were caught, 2 of which, 2.37 and 2.08 inches long, 

 respectively, were saved. Their stomachs contained blackfly larvfe, 

 insect fragments, and insect eggs. 



July 18 : In the same rivulet another specimen 2.08 inches long 

 was taken. Its stomach was empty. 



August 10 : In Alder Brook, directlj^ tributary to the lake, 4 were 

 caught, measuring 2.08, 2.06, 2, and 1.87 inches long, respectively. 

 Their stomachs contained blackfly larvae, insects (head and wings), 

 and mosquitoes. 



18. Trout. Salvelintis fontinalis (Mitchill). 



Plate XII. 



The trout is so well known and varies so much in structure, shape, and 

 color, that a detailed description is hardlj' necessary. But for comparison with 

 the small brown trout a brief outline of the distinctive characters is given, 

 drawn from a male specimen, collected at the same time and place as the 

 brown trout. It is a typical " brook trout," 6.66 inches long. 



Head 4.42 in length without caudal ; depth 3.42 ; eye 5.25 in head ; snout 4.20 ; 

 maxillary bone 1.9; branchiostegals 10 on right side and 11 on left; gillrakers 

 A-erj- short and rather stout, 6+10 on each side; dorsal 9; anal 8; scales about 

 225. Head bluntly conic, mouth rather large, distance from tip of snout to 

 posterior extremity of maxillary l.Gl in head ; mandible 1.44 ; eye moderate, 

 distance between the eyes rather broad, 3.23 in head; body rather slendei*, 

 slightly compressed ; lateral line with about 118 pores ; caudal peduncle rather 

 deep and compressed; dorsal moderate, when depressed the tips of first rays 

 not nearly reaching tips of last, 2.25 in head ; base 2.1 ; anal falcate, the first 

 rays longest, 1.61 in head, when depressed reaching far beyond the tip of last 

 rays, base 2.62 in head ; pectoral moderate, 1.68 in head ; ventral 1.9. 



Head and body to some distance below lateral line brownish olive; vermicu- 

 lated on top of head and back with yellowish markings ; sides iridescent, bluish 

 and green, with large yellow spots and some smaller red spots surrounded 

 with pale blue aureola; lower jaw creamy white; throat and branchiostegals 

 dusky; belly much punctulated with dusky, causing an irregular clouding, con- 

 forming somewhat to the dark parr marks, 7 of which cross the sides; lower 

 three-fourths of dorsal with large black spots arranged in irregular rows, 

 sometimes coalescing, giving, with the lighter ground color, a vermiculated 

 appearance to the latter; upper margin of fin straw with indistinct spots; 

 pectoral, ventral, and anal orange, with first ray white, bordered by black 

 within : adipose dusky, tipped with yellow ; caudal orange and olive, finely 

 barred with wavy marking. 



This fish is very generally known as '' trout.'" Sometimes to dis- 

 tinguish it from the laker it is designated as " squaretail," and from 

 black-spotted fisli of the salmon family as " redspot." It is 

 also called " brook trout," especially when occurring in brooks. 

 " Speckled beauty " is a pet name almost too hackneyed for repeti- 

 tion here, and " speckled trout " is not distinctive. 



This trout is indigenous to most suitable waters from Nova Scotia 

 to Labrador, throughout New England, northern New York, and 

 the Great Lakes region, west to the Saskatchewan, and in the moun- 



