THE SALMON FAMIL Y. 75 



nately to both groups, and, still worse, to numerous 

 other fishes {Cestreiis, Microptenis, Hexagraimnits) 

 wholly unlike the SalmonidcB in all respects. It is 

 sometimes said that the " American brook-trout is 

 no trout, nothing but a charr," almost as though 

 *' charr " were a word of reproach. Nothing higher, 

 however, can be said of a salmonoid than that it is 

 a ** charr." The technical character of the genus 

 Salvelimis lies in the form of its vomer. This is 

 deeper than in Salmo ; and when the flesh is re- 

 moved the bone is found to be somewhat boat- 

 shaped above, and with the shaft depressed and out 

 of the line of the chevron. Only the chevron is 

 armed with teeth, and the shaft is covered by skin. 

 In one species (5. namayctisJi) the chevron sends a 

 projection backward which bears teeth ; these teeth 

 appearing, unless the flesh is removed, as if stand- 

 ing on the shaft of the bone. 



In color all the charrs differ from the salmon 

 and trout. The body in all is covered with round 

 spots which are paler than the ground color, and 

 crimson or gray. The lower fins are usually edged 

 with bright colors. The sexual differences are not 

 great. The scales, in general, are smaller than in 

 other SalmonidcBy and they are imbedded in the skin 

 to such a degree as to escape the notice of casual 

 observers and even of most anglers. 



" One trout scale in the scales I 'd lay 

 (If trout had scales), and 't will outweigh 

 The wrong side of the balances." 



Lowell. 



The charrs inhabit, in general, only the clearest 

 and coldest of mountain streams and lakes. They 



