THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1893. 



THE RAINBOW TROUT. 



{California Mountain Trout.) 

 Die Regenhogen Forelle. Salnio iridea. 



This species is sometimes called 

 "the trout of the future," and we 

 think justly, in view of habits that ren- 

 der it more profitable, when bred for 

 the market. It was but lately intro- 

 duced from California and did not 

 seem to take well with the culturists. 

 They did not expect much from it, 

 thinking that the somewhat iinattrac- 

 tive exterior of the fish would militate 

 against its sale as an article of diet. 

 However this may be, the species is a 

 valuable one and found favor in the 

 eyes of those who did not judge solely 

 by appearances. In Germany it is now 

 very extensively cultivated, yielding 

 large profits to the culturists. In form 

 it very much resembles the brook-trout, 

 although it is not so beautifully marked. 

 In color it is of a dark grayish brown ; 

 this fact probably being the objection 

 urged against it as rendering it unat- 

 tractive to the eye. Although this is 

 true, the fish possesses a redeeming 

 trait, if judged by coloring alone, and 

 that is, its iridescence, which no doubt 

 is due to some peculiar property of the 

 surface in decomposing the rays of light 

 into its primary colors. The effect is 

 beautiful and reminds one of a fragment 

 of rainbow turned loose in the water, 

 flashing and glistening here and there, 

 reflecting back the gorgeous colors of 

 its heavenly prototype. The rainbow 

 trout possesses the advantage of being 

 well adapted for warm rivers and 

 thrives well in pond water. Its growth 

 also is much more rapid than that of 

 the brook trout, and to add to its value 

 it spawns in the spring of the year. 

 These two facts tend to make the breed- 

 ing of it profitable. 



THE GRAYLING. 



TJiymallus. 

 Die Aesche. L'omhre. 



This species is found native in the 

 cold waters of both Europe and the 

 United States ; Michigan being the 

 State in which it is principally found in 

 abundance. It is a handsome fish, the 

 meat thought to be delicious and brings 

 as high a price as that of the brook- 

 trout. The grayling is of a purplish 

 gray color on the back and sides, the 

 belly, in common with others, being 

 silvery. The dorsal fin is very large, 

 and especially during the breeding time; 

 it is ornamented with rosy markings 

 and rows of green or bltie spots, the 

 whole making a pleasing effect. The 

 spawning season, like that of the rain- 

 bow trout, occurs in the spring of the 

 year, so that by the following winter 

 the fish is fit for the table, just at a time 

 when trout generally are out of season. 

 It commences spawning at two years of 

 age, and proceeds in the same manner 

 as the trout. 



THE WHITE-FISH. 



Coregonus albus. 

 Maraene. 



The body of this fish is compressed 

 on the sides, and is covered with rather 

 large, loose scales. The head is very 

 small, and the mouth devoid of teeth. 

 The color is silvery white, but dark on 

 the back. The form of the fish varies 

 more or less according to age and sur- 

 rounding circumstances. It is native 

 in all the great lakes of the United 

 States, where it grows to perfection. It 

 has been introduced into the lakes of 

 Germany and other European States. 

 As a food-fish, the white fish is pre- 

 eminently the best, purely fresh-water 

 fish in the world. 



It feeds upon the microscopic mol- 



