VNIKIIICAN SI'ORTSMKN. 47 



of the litcniry and sciriitifu* institutions of those lands are 

 sportsmen, who have eontrihuted most highly to the advance- 

 ment of knowledge by their investigations, experiments, and 

 contributions, we can, on this side, alas ! point to but two or 

 three of the sportin:^ fiaternity who lia\(' cared to ree()rd them- 

 selves as anytliin:^ more than killers of animals ; of the hal)its, 

 characteristics, ami even names of which they are but too often 

 grossly ignorant. 



A t'ew there are, it is true, who aspire to hiirhcr things, and 

 who are actuated by something more than the mere love of 

 killing, the mere andjition of boasting of bag ; and among these 

 (may their nund)crs increase daily !) it will not, I hope, be 

 deemed impertinent to specify the author of " The Birds of 

 LoulT Island. ' who, from a sportsman of no secondarv skill or 

 energy, has successfidly aspired to the honours of a naturalist ; 

 and has most deservedly ac(piircd, as such, no small degree of 

 celebrity and favour. 



From this sljort excursion, into which 1 have been naturally 

 led in the course of my subject, I return to the description of 

 the gill-covers of fish, and thereafter to the dental system, the 

 method of comparing which I shall lay down briefly for the use 

 of the learner, and then proceed at once to the history of 

 Sporting Fislies. 



The subject, which I now present, is the head of the Silver 

 Trout of Europe {Sa/mo I^iriijitris), n 8i)ccic« found in the large 

 lakes of that continent. The figure is copied, by permission, 

 fn)m Professor Agnssin' great work <»n the " Fresh-water Fishes 

 of Centml Kunipo." 



Tlie gill-covers of all the fishes of the three first divisions. 



