FOOD OF TROUT. 17 



third with those small dark-coloured water-flies 

 which are to be found moving about on the sur- 

 face, under banks and sheltered places. The 

 trout fed with worms grew slowly and had a lean 

 appearance ; those nourished on minnows, which, 

 it was observed, they darted at with great vora- 

 city, became much larger ; while such as were 

 fattened upon flies only, attained, in a short time, 

 prodigious dimensions, weighing twice as much as 

 both the others together, although the quantity 

 of food swallowed by them was in no wise so 

 great." * Whatever may be the fact, we are 

 certainly inclined to think, from all that has been 

 advanced by naturalists, that opinions as to differ- 

 ent species and varieties should only be formed 

 upon the surest grounds, and should not be re- 

 ceived without the greatest caution. What can be 

 said of the opinion of ordinary folks, when even a 

 professed naturalist tells us that " the various 

 names of common trout, sea trout, and salmon 

 trout apply only to differences arising from age, 

 sex, season, the character of the water, and the 

 sorts of food which they can procure." With due 

 deference to this learned authority, we will remark 

 that the names of sea trout and salmon trout are 



* Scottish Angler, p. 79. 2nd edit. 

 C 



