﻿THE 
  BROOK 
  TROUT. 
  

  

  DESCRIPTION 
  OF 
  THE 
  FISH. 
  

  

  The 
  brook 
  trout 
  or 
  speckled 
  trout 
  {Salvelinus 
  fontinaUs) 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  

   most 
  beautiful, 
  active, 
  aud 
  widely 
  distributed 
  of 
  the 
  American 
  trouts. 
  

   It 
  prefers 
  clear, 
  cold, 
  rapid 
  streams, 
  and 
  belougs 
  to 
  that 
  group 
  of 
  trout 
  

   known 
  as 
  charrs, 
  characterized 
  by 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  round 
  crimson 
  spots 
  

   on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  body. 
  Other 
  members 
  of 
  this 
  class 
  are 
  the 
  saibling 
  

   or 
  chaTT 
  {Salvelinus 
  alpinus) 
  of 
  Enro\^e 
  aud 
  Greenland; 
  the 
  Sunapee 
  

   trout 
  {8. 
  alfpimis 
  aureolus), 
  found 
  in 
  parts 
  of 
  New 
  Hampshire 
  and 
  

   Maine; 
  the 
  blueback 
  trout 
  [S. 
  oqnassa) 
  of 
  the 
  Eangeley 
  Lakes 
  in 
  Maine, 
  

   and 
  the 
  Dolly 
  Yarden 
  trout, 
  red-spotted 
  trout, 
  or 
  bull 
  trout 
  {>S. 
  malma) 
  

   of 
  the 
  Pacific 
  States 
  and 
  Alaska. 
  The 
  lake 
  trout 
  also 
  belongs 
  in 
  this 
  

   group. 
  

  

  The 
  general 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  brook 
  trout's 
  body 
  varies 
  considerably, 
  some- 
  

   times 
  being 
  elongated 
  and 
  sometimes 
  rather 
  short, 
  but 
  the 
  usual 
  depth 
  

   is 
  about 
  one-fourth 
  or 
  one-fifth 
  of 
  the 
  length. 
  The 
  head 
  is 
  large 
  aud 
  

   blunt, 
  aud 
  is 
  contained 
  4J 
  times 
  in 
  the 
  body 
  length. 
  The 
  large 
  terminal 
  

   mouth 
  is 
  jirovided 
  with 
  teeth 
  on 
  the 
  jaws, 
  tongue, 
  and 
  palate 
  bones, 
  

   and 
  also 
  with 
  a 
  small 
  patch 
  on 
  the 
  vomer. 
  The 
  eye 
  is 
  placed 
  high 
  in 
  

   the 
  head; 
  its 
  diameter 
  is 
  about 
  one 
  sixth 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  head. 
  The 
  gill- 
  

   rakers 
  on 
  the 
  first 
  arch 
  number 
  about 
  17, 
  of 
  which 
  11 
  are 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  

   arm. 
  The 
  scales 
  are 
  very 
  small 
  and 
  numerous; 
  about 
  230 
  are 
  in 
  the 
  

   lengthwise 
  series, 
  and 
  35 
  above 
  and 
  35 
  below 
  the 
  lateral 
  line. 
  The 
  

   dorsal 
  and 
  anal 
  rays 
  are 
  10 
  aud 
  9, 
  respectively. 
  The 
  tail 
  is 
  square 
  or 
  

   slightly 
  lunate 
  in 
  the 
  adult, 
  forked 
  in 
  the 
  young. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  considerable 
  variation 
  in 
  the 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  brook 
  trout, 
  

   dependent 
  on 
  local 
  conditions, 
  sex, 
  and 
  age. 
  The 
  head, 
  back, 
  aud 
  

   sides 
  of 
  the 
  body, 
  dorsal 
  and 
  caudal 
  fins 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  grayish 
  or 
  greenish 
  

   color; 
  the 
  back, 
  head, 
  dorsal, 
  and 
  base 
  of 
  caudal 
  are 
  mottled 
  with 
  dark 
  

   green 
  or 
  black. 
  In 
  the 
  male 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  reddish 
  band 
  along 
  side 
  of 
  belly. 
  

   Along 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  side 
  there 
  are 
  numerous 
  round 
  light-red 
  spots 
  

   surrounded 
  by 
  whitish 
  or 
  light-brownish 
  circular 
  areas. 
  The 
  lower 
  fins 
  

   are 
  dusky, 
  with 
  a 
  pale 
  or 
  cream-color 
  anterior 
  border 
  bounded 
  by 
  a 
  

   black 
  streak; 
  remainder 
  of 
  fin 
  often 
  red 
  in 
  breeding 
  males. 
  

  

  The 
  brook 
  trout 
  may 
  be 
  distinguished 
  from 
  the 
  other 
  charrs 
  by 
  the 
  

   dark-brown 
  or 
  black 
  marblings 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  and 
  the 
  general 
  absence 
  of 
  

   spots 
  ou 
  the 
  back. 
  

  

  91 
  

  

  