290 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



and third of equal length, as long as the third dorsal ray, the last the 

 shortest, considerably more than half the length of the longest ray ; 

 pectorals much longer than tlie base of the dorsal fin, and of the 

 same length as the long caudal ray ; the first ray simple, the rest 

 branched, the second and third the longest, the last the shortest, aboiit 

 half the length of the seventh ray. Eye placed half-way between 

 the point of the snout, and the upper corner of the gill-cover ; mouth 

 large ; jaws nearly equal ; maxillaries extending back as far as in a 

 line with the posterior margin of the orbit. Teeth stout and sharp 

 in both jaws, as well as on the tongue, vomer, and palatines ; those 

 on the vomer four in number, confined to the most anterior part ; 

 those on the tongue four, never exceeding eight. The vomerine teeth 

 in young fish less than nine inches in length, are from nine to twelve 

 in number, extending far back (See Plate XXX), and which disap- 

 pear as the fish increases in age. Scales large and strong, twenty- 

 two in an oblique row backward, between the base of the middle 

 ra^'^ of the dorsal fin and the lateral line ; lateral line straight, pass- 

 ing down the middle of the side to the base of the tail ; csecal ap- 

 pendages fifty-four ; flesh pale yellow. Number of fln rays — 

 1st D. 10 ; P. 13 ; V. 8 ; A. 10 ; C. 19. 



Tin's migratory species of trout, when fully grown, leaves 

 the sea about the end of July to enter the fresh-water 

 streams, where it deposits its spawn in the months of Oc- 

 tober, November, and December, and after this law of Na- 

 ture is fulfilled, it, like the salmon, returns again to the 

 sea. During the spawning season, the males become of a 

 brownish-red colour on the back, the spots shew themselves 

 more vividly, and the vertical elongation of the lower jaw 

 becomes developed similar to that observed in the male sal- 

 mon at the same period, but not to such an extent. The 

 weight that this fish attains to, is from twenty to five-and- 

 twenty pounds, and sometimes more, as a fine example was 

 taken a few years since in the Newby stake-net in the Sol- 

 way Firth, that exceeded the weight of twenty-eight pounds. 

 It was sent to the Carlisle market, where it received an in- 

 different sale, as the flesh when cut exhibited a coarse chalk- 

 white appearance ; the red fleshed trout, as food, receiving 



