266 THE RIVER-SIDE NATURALIST. 



The powers of reproduction commence about the second 

 year. The spawning season commences in November 

 and lasts till January, dependent on climate and locality. 

 Some rivers are early ; some trout will spawn in October, 

 and some as late as February ; but, as a rule, it is at its 

 height from the middle of November to the middle of 

 January. Spawned trout take some time to get into con- 

 dition. It would be far better for the fish if the close- 

 time continued till the I4th of April at the earliest. There 

 are some fish always in order, but these, we suspect, would 

 be barren fish, i.e., wanting in the organs necessary for 

 the reproduction of their race. This abnormal condition 

 is found in every class of animal life. 



All the salmon family have fine qualities and afford 

 grand sport. They are all, when in season, of elegant 

 shape and handsome appearance. We admire the ana- 

 dromous forms for their blue steel-coloured backs and 

 silver sides ; but of all the non-migratory inhabitants of 

 the fresh-waters, there are none to be compared to the 



' Trouts bedropped wi' crimson hail." 



The Loch Leven trout, Salmo levenensis, has had par- 

 ticuliar attention drawn to it from its successful cultivation 

 at Howietoun, at Mr. Andrews' fish-culture establishment 

 at Guildford, and elsewhere, for the purpose of introducing 

 it into the lakes and rivers, not only of this country, but 

 in all parts of the world where the Salmonidce can live. In 

 the Fishing Gazette of December 1886 we entered fully into 

 the history of this fish, and again in a paper written for 

 the Glasgow Trout Preservation Association. It appears, 

 from good authority, that its introduction into some rivers 

 has greatly improved the quality of the native trout. If 

 this should continue, it may help to solve the problem as 

 to whether the S. levenensis is a land-locked sea-trout, or 

 whether S. trutta and S. fario are of the same species. 



As regards the great lake-trout, S. ferox, most authors 

 and fishermen who have studied the subject, we believe, 

 have come to the conclusion that ferox is nothing but an 

 overgrown ugly example of S. fario. 



