Tue Fauna or GLENCAIRN. III. THE FISHES. 31 
however, still run to considerable weight, one killed near the 
village of Moniaive two years ago turning the scale at 5} Ibs., while 
two others weighed over 3 lbs. The silting up of many of the old 
spawning beds, through the excessive draining on the hills, and 
the consequent sudden spates, may have helped to diminish their 
numbers ; but it is also accounted for by the extra number of rods 
now on the water compared to former times. [Other agencies 
may be affecting the ova, such as tame ducks, otters, birds, etc.] 
The dastardly practices of the night poachers, with salmon roe, 
net, and other illegal methods, contribute also to decrease the 
number of trout. In the Cairn the trout vary very much in 
colour. In the deeper parts one often gets them very dark, 
whereas others are of a beautiful clear yellow colour, with the 
flesh of a pinky shade. The spawning season extends from 
November to February, and one rarely kills a well-mended 
“Kelt ’? before May. They quickly improve about the season 
of early spring. The burnie or moor trout might be called a 
distinct variety or species, seeing that it spawns in its habitat. It 
is dark in colour and of smaller size. The bulltrout, according to 
some, is probably a full-sized river trout. It is classified as Salmo 
eriox, and corresponds to the griseus or gray trout of the Welsh 
rivers. It resembles the salmon, but is inferior to eat. It is often 
mistaken for salmon or grilse, and is sometimes sold as such, but 
may be easily detected from the body being more thickly spotted 
with brown, and the paler colour of its flesh when cut. I have 
not heard of them being taken in the Cairn, although they have 
deen killed in the Annan. They are very common in the Tweed. 
It ascends rivers to spawn, and visits the sea to recuperate, like 
the salmon. It is possible they may have been taken in mistake 
for salmon in this district. The great lake trout, Salmo ferox, is 
not found to my knowledge in any of the lochs in the district. 
4.—MInNow (Leuciscus phoscimus) 
Is fairly numerous, and may be seen in considerable shoals in 
the shallow back-water of the Cairn during the summer months. 
5.—LoacuH (Namaechilus barbatula). 
This somewhat sluggish fish is fairly plentiful in most of our 
streams, though nowhere can it be said to be numerous ; although 
its brownish colour, which matches so perfectly the stones among 
