SALMO N. 1 -.. 



in the spots. In size and weight it varies consider- 

 ably, three or four pounds being about the average, 

 though some are met with weighing fifteen or more. 

 This one is a thick and compact fish, with the curve 

 of the back nearly the same as that of the belly, and 

 answering to the characters usually given to the sea- 

 trout. 



The small one is more uniform in size, at least at 

 the same place and time, being in general about a 

 foot long. It is thin and not nearly so much arched 

 in the back as the large one. The upper part of the 

 body has a greyish instead of a greenish tinge ; the 

 under part in both is white, but this one has much less 

 of the silvery or metallic lustre, though enough to 

 procure it the name of sea-trout, whatever other it 

 may receive. It is found in smaller streams than the 

 larger one ; but it does not run far ; and it seems to 

 spawn earlier in the season than the other. Smaller 

 ones are met with about the upper part of the brackish 

 water of the streams in the earlier part of the season ; 

 and one or other may be had, not far from the same 

 locality, all the year round, or nearly so. The form 

 and armature of the mouth are the same as in the 

 larger one. There are we believe sometimes differ- 

 ences in the number of rays in the fins; but when 

 we find some of the salmon family with more rays 

 on the gill-flap on the one side of the head than 

 on the other, we must hesitate before we admit the 

 number of rays in fins as a very definite specific cha- 

 racter. 



The small one gets different names ; and these 

 have perhaps, contributed to the erecting of it into a 

 species which has been done. But smault, grilse, 

 and salmon, are also different names, and yet we 

 know that they mean only different ages of the very 

 same fish. This is not the only assistance .which 

 the analogy of the salmon affords us here ; for the 

 habits of the whitling, as it is called in some places, 

 or the white trout, as it is called in others, bear very 

 nearly the same relation to those of the larger sea- 

 trout that the manners of the grilse bear to those of 

 the salmon. It seems, therefore, that this small fish 

 is really nothing else than the sea-trout of the first 

 year ; and its being so is corroborated by the fact, 

 that it is not found excepting upon places of the coast 

 where the other is also found, only they are not both 

 met with in the same spot, or at the same time, which 

 is also the case with salmon and grilses. The only 

 conclusion to which we can fairly come in the mean- 

 time therefore is, that these are only one and the 

 same species. This is the conclusion at which Mr 

 Yarrell arrives, from a careful comparison of this sup- 

 posed species of salmon-trout of the first year. 



BULL TKOUT (S. mar). This species, which from 

 the colour of the upper part is also called the grey 

 trout, is the only remaining British species which is 

 migratory between the sea and the fresh waters. In 

 the form of the head, the projection of the under jaw 

 beyond the upper when the mouth is open, and in the 

 adaptation of its form for swift and long-continued 

 swimming, it resgmbles the salmon more than the sea- 

 trout does ; but still the air of it is quite different 

 from that of the salmon. There are also some struc- 

 tural differences. The tail at the insertion of the 

 fin is thicker than in either of the others ; and the 

 fish altogether seems rougher and coarser. The out- 

 line of the gill-cover is straight behind and under. 

 The dorsal fin has a ray fewer than in the salmon 

 trout ; and the pectorals and the anal have a ray more. 



595 



The spine has a ray more than in the salmon trout, 

 and one less than in the salmon. The teeth are ra- 

 ther larger than in the salmon trout, and there are 

 not quite so many on the vomer. Along with its 

 coarser appearance, it appears a more vigorous fish 

 than either of the other two, and anglers find it 

 stronger in the water. It grows to a size and weight 

 intermediate between the salmon and salmon trout, 

 being sometimes met with three feet in length. When 

 of that size it weighs about twenty pounds ; but spe- 

 cimens of such magnitude are of rare occurrence. 

 It is not so generally distributed as the salmon trout, 

 and is not much seen except in the rivers. In some 

 places it is called the sea-trout, indiscriminately 

 with the salmon trout ; and the young of the year is 

 also called the whiteling. It is probable, indeed, that 

 the small ones referred to in noticing the salmon 

 trout may consist of a mixture of the young of both 

 species, for externally they are very like each other ; 

 and the colours even of the adult ones, when out of 

 the breeding season, are not very different. When 

 they come to table, however, there is a wonderful 

 difference between them. The flesh of the bull-trout, 

 even when in the best, condition, is only dull yellow- 

 ish white, and that of the young ones is dull white. 

 In both states it is comparatively juiceless and fla- 

 vourless ; and therefore it is not in such demand at the 

 first-rate markets as to render fishing for bull-trout 

 much a matter of commerce. Accordingly, it is left to 

 the anglers, who find it earlier in the waters than any of 

 the other migrants of the family ; and though it is not 

 the very best prize for the pot-fisher, it is one which 

 affords a good deal of wholesome exercise to those 

 who fish for sport. It has not the weight of a " prize" 

 salmon, and thus it may not be so difficult to land ; 

 but it is more vigorous when struck, and dashes, 

 plunges, and leaps, with so much muscular vigour, 

 that it can be kept only by the best tackle handled 

 in the best manner. It is, however, easily found ; 

 for it is one of the most voracious of the family, and 

 not so wary as the common trout, which, after all, is 

 the prince of the family for fine fishing. In fishing 

 for bull-trout one does not require to be very parti- 

 cular as to the fly that is on the water ; for fly or 

 bait, it will bite at any thing ; and so determinedly, 

 that it can be struck without much difficulty. It also 

 admits of stronger tackle being used than the other 

 SahnonidcB of the rivers ; and thus its voracity fur- 

 nishes at least part of the means of overcoming its 

 strength. In the breeding season, or rather prepa- 

 ratory to it, which is the time of blooming with fishes 

 as well as with flowers, there is a difference in the 

 colour of the males and the females, the former be- 

 ing reddish brown on the back, and the latter dusky 

 grey ; but at other times both fade to dusky black, 

 in which state their external colour is very like that 

 of the salmon-trout. We believe that this species is 

 more common in the southern or middle parts of the 

 island than in the northern ones ; and even though 

 its flesh were of better quality, it is doubtful whether 

 very profitable fishing for it could be established. 



It is by no means improbable that the Hncho of 

 the Danube and its branches may be the same as the 

 bull-trout of this country, though there are some dif- 

 erences in the lateral spots, and the muzzle is said 

 to be more pointed. There are not, however, greater 

 differences than are known to be produced by climate 

 n some of those members of the family with which 

 we are more familiar. The foreign salmon are, how- 

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