152 SALMON AND TROUT. 



' is the common yellow fin, or Salmo fario^ and the bull trout 

 are the salmon of the river. There are no true salmon, Salmo 

 salar, in Coquet, the only sea fish frequenting the river being 

 bull trout ; but with Coquet-side fishermen the terms salmon 

 and bull trout are synonymous: hence "salmon " with them 

 means Salmo eroix^ or bull trout, and " trout " Salmo fario, or 

 common river trout.' 



Principal Characteristics of the Bull-Trout. Length of head compared to 

 body only, as i to 4 ; general form of body similar to that of the salmon, but 

 nape of neck and shoulders thicker, and fleshy portion of tail and base of each 

 of the fins more muscular. Teeth of female smaller than those of male. 

 Elongation of lower jaw confined to the males only, but not so conspicuous as in 

 the salmon. Scales rather smaller and more numerous than those of a salmon 

 of equal size. Colour : when in good condition, like that of the salmon trout ; 

 at spawning time, (in the males) head olive-brown, body reddish or orange 

 brown ; (in the females) blackish grey ; in both fish the back fins reddish brown, 

 spotted with darker brown, tail fins dark brown, the other fins dusky brown. 

 Vertebrae commonly 59, occasionally 60. 



Fin rays: D. n: P. 14: V. 9 : A. n : C. 19. 



The following were the principal dimensions of a very hand- 

 some specimen which I had sent up to me from the Tweed : 

 Total length, tail fin included, two feet four and a half inches, 

 girth at shoulder, just behind head, fourteen and a half inches 

 weight eight and a half pounds. 



THE SEA TROUT OR SALMON TROUT 

 (Salmo truttd). 



Passing now to the last of our silver or migratory group, 

 we come to the sea trout, or as it is sometimes called salmon 

 trout, Salmo trutta, a fish much more frequently met with than 

 the preceding species and as a food fish ranking * with, but after ; 

 the salmon, with which, also, owing to the general similarity of 

 its habits, it is included in all statutory restrictions. 



Under a separate heading in this article the marks by 

 which the sea trout can be most readily distinguished from 

 the salmon and bull trout are given in detail, and beyond this 

 it need only be observed generally that in appearance it is 



