IN A FISHING COUNTRY 



(6) Fontinalis, our brook trout, is best thus 

 identified whether in brook, river or lake, 

 long as the finger or the arm, black as an 

 eel or radiant of colour. Perhaps no fish 

 varies so much in every trait, with environ- 

 ment. There is just room for a doubt as to 

 whether the species is divisible, but the 

 question turns almost wholly upon size, 

 not a satisfactory ground on which to base 

 a distinction. Here too are there many 

 names : — speckled trout, mountain trout, 

 red trout, bee croche, etc., and confusion 

 is born of this superfluity. Our so-called 

 *sea trout' are, almost certainly, brook trout 

 which have learned to spend much of their 

 time in salt water, thus acquiring new char- 

 acteristics that possibly entitle them to sub- 

 specific classification. The North Ameri- 

 can brook trout is the most distinguished 

 among the charrs, but, unlike the brown 

 trout, (Salmo fario) he has not profited 

 away from home. 



(7) Nitidus and alipes were discovered 

 named and pictured by Richardson in the 

 far north, more than eighty years ago. The 

 differences between them are trifling — so 

 trifling that they may ultimately be classed 

 together. Lac de Marbre trout, Malbaie 

 trout, oquassa marstoni, are only slightly 



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