124 AMERICAN FISHES 



wave at the end of tliirty yards of line, and there should be at least 

 seventy yards more on the reel. It is splendid sport ! as a strong fish 

 will make sometimes a long run, and give a good chase down the 

 wind." 



This clear, able and sportsmanlike account of this fine fish perfect- 

 ly establishes the fact of its existence as a distinct species, intermediate 

 between the true Salmon, Salmo Salar, on the one hand, and the 

 Brook Trout, Salmo Fo'titinalis^ on the other. And it must on no ac- 

 count be confounded with the non-migratory Lake Trouts, which have 

 been just described, and which are sometimes erroneously and absurdly 

 called Salmon Trout. They never quit the purely fresh- water these 

 never leave it. These are anadromous, those stationary. 



Those are a worthless fish, both to the sportsman and the epicure, 

 comparatively speaking ; these are in all respects the most valuable 

 of the species, with the exception only of the true Salmon ; and nei- 

 ther in excellence of flavor nor in sporting qualifications do they fall 

 behind even him, although they are far inferior in weight and size. 



Mr. Yarrel states that the length of the head in this fish is as one 

 to four to the length of the whole body, and the depth of the body to 

 the length the same. The teeth, small and numerous, occupying five 

 rows on the upper surface of the mouth, those of the central row, on 

 the vomer, extending some distance along it, the points turning alter- 

 nately to each side, one row on each side of the under jaw, and three 

 or four teeth on each side of the tongue, strong, sharp, and curving 

 backwards, well calculated to secure a living prey, or convey food to- 

 wards the pharynx. 



The dorsal fin-rays are twelve in number, the pectoral thirteen, the 

 ventral nine, the anal ten, and the caudal nineteen. When the Sal- 

 mon Trout is placed by the side of a Salmon, it is in comparison 

 darker in color in the body, but lighter in the color of the fins. 



It is with great satisfaction that I am enabled to present this. beauti- 

 ful and gallant fish to my readers, and to establish with certainty its 

 identity with the Salmo Trutta of Yarrel, and its existence in the 

 North American Provinces. This fish has hitherto never been de- 

 cribed in any American sporting work, nor I believe in any work of 

 a scientific character, as an American species, with the exception of 

 the Parliamentary reports of Mr. Perley. The fish described as the 



