656 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



fliui ky A. S. RudUnd & Smi 



SALMON-TROUT 



Known also as tht Sea-trout, and in Ireland as the White Trout 



to anglers as the " sea-jacket," 

 and shoals of " smolts," as 

 they are called in this stage, 



^MflNpBr IHfe^^fl begin descending to the sea. 



In about fifteen or eighteen 

 months, perhaps in some 

 instances longer, they return 

 to the inland waters as 

 " grilse " small salmon from 

 2 to 5 Ibs. in weight. Grilse 

 and mature salmon spawn 

 chiefly in November and 

 December, undergoing, before 

 they do so, another strange 

 metamorphosis. Their brilliant 



silvery scales become darkly discoloured, the males turning copper-colour, the females blackish 

 and dull purple ; their elegant form becoming distorted to such a degree as to render them 

 hardly recognisable as the same fish which left the tide in the perfection of beauty. In their 

 efforts to reach the higher waters where they spawn, salmon display extraordinary perseverance 

 and activity in surmounting weirs, waterfalls, and other obstacles which bar their way. After 

 spawning, the fish are emaciated and lanky, but speedily regain the bright silver hue so 

 characteristic of the species. In this state they are usually known as " kelts " ; they are 

 worthless either for food or for sport, and make their way back to the sea, where abundant 

 provender soon restores their condition. Their chief food consists of herrings, haddocks, and 

 other small fishes. Dr. Kingston Barton recently recorded finding five full-grown herrings in 

 the stomach of one salmon. Although the excellence of their flesh exposes salmon to the 

 attacks of innumerable foes, including man, predacious fishes, seals, and cetaceans, a few survive 

 for many years and attain to great size. Fish weighing from 30 to 40 Ibs. are far from 

 uncommon ; one of 60 Ibs. has been taken in the Tay with rod and line, and the same river 

 has yielded one of upwards of 70 Ibs. to the nets. The fine sport afforded to anglers by the 

 salmon causes a good beat on a prolific river to be a very valuable property. Two thousand 

 pounds was the season's rent paid a few years ago for less than three miles of the Tweed, 

 and the season happened to be such a bad one that the lessee only killed thirteen fish ! 



Closely resembling the true salmon in habits and appearance, and sometimes rivalling 

 it even in size, are two kinds of sea-trout the SALMON-TROUT, greatly prized both for its 

 sporting qualities and for the excellence of its flesh, and the BULL-TROUT, a very inferior 

 fish in both respects. Bull-trout are not infrequently taken in the Tay weighing upwards 

 of 40 Ibs. 



The Pacific Ocean has its counterpart to the Atlantic salmon and sea-trout in several 

 closely allied species, whereof the QuiNNAT and the STEELHEAD are the most notable. These 

 ascend the great rivers of Western North America in prodigious shoals, penetrating more than 

 2,000 miles inland to deposit their spawn. Few of these fish survive to return to the 

 sea. In their emaciated condition they succumb to exhaustion and starvation ; their corpses, 

 piled to the height of several feet, line the banks of the river for miles, and contribute 

 nothing to the traveler's comfort. Although Pacific salmon are of no value to the sportsman, 

 as they are said to refuse any bait in fresh-water, yet they are the staple of an important 

 trade, tens of thousands of tons being taken and canned for export. 



If we could peer far enough back into the course of time, we should no doubt be able 

 to identify a common stock from which all the Salmon Family are descended. That they are 

 all natives of fresh-water is proved by the fact that they cannot reproduce their kind in the 

 sea. Those that resort to the ocean for food must be the descendants of vigorous, roving 

 members of the family, which, having to choose between starvation and migration, braved the 



