Z OBSERVATIONS 



and the white, the red is preferred both for 

 beauty and flavour. 



This justly-esteemed fish, when in the best 

 condition, measures from the nose to the fork of 

 the tail twice as much as his girth. The weight 

 of trout usually taken with the fly is from two 

 ounces to two pounds and a half ; but they are 

 sometimes taken of four, and five pounds, and 

 even larger ; but under three or four ounces 

 they are too small for the creel. 



The Trout has eight fins, viz. one dorsal, one 

 anal, one caudal, two pectoral, two ventral, and 

 a little fleshy one without spines on the back 

 near the tail-fin. 



Sir H. Davy says (Salmonia, p. 73) : " I have 

 known the number of spines in the pectoral fins 

 different in different varieties of Trout : I have 

 seen them twelve, thirteen, and fourteen ; but 

 the anal fin always, I believe, contains eleven 

 spines, the dorsal twelve or thirteen, the ventral 

 nine, and the caudal twenty-one." 



The back fin has a pale brown colour, with 

 darker brown spots upon it ; the others (in- 

 cluding the tail) have a red tint. The colour 

 of the back, when in perfect condition (which is 

 generally in May, but in some waters not until 

 June), is usually a dark olive green, studded 

 with a mixture of black and brownish spots. 

 The sides are shaded off from the olive to a 



