23 2 The Trouts of America 



watery, hence it is not as good a table fish as its 

 congeners of Colorado waters. Before they mate 

 for spawning they take a trolling spoon or artifi- 

 cial fly very freely, as well as other lures, but just 

 before spawning and during that period they 

 refuse baits of any description. 



One of the most interesting of this series of 

 salmon-trouts is the Lake Tahoe, Truckee, or 

 silver trout (Salmo clarkii tahoensis). It is easier 

 recognized as a special varietal form than most of 

 the other subspecies of the cut-throats, as the 

 head is longer and more cone-shaped, and the 

 spots are more individually unequal in size and 

 arranged differently. Its other characteristic 

 markings are: robustness of form, and greater 

 depth of body than prevails in other cut-throats ; 

 large head; small eye; teeth on the roof of the 

 mouth in two long series, alternating and the 

 teeth on the root of the tongue are distinct in a 

 rather long series ; large mouth, extending be- 

 yond the eye ; rounded gill covers ; caudal or tail 

 .fin shaped like a new moon, lunate, having a broad 

 and rather shallow fork. The coloration is a 

 dark green on the back, belly silvery, with a broad 

 coppery shade on the sides and on the cheeks 

 and gill covers. Instead of the usual red or crim- 



