266 The Trouts of America 



throat and the rainbow trouts. These fishes are 

 connecting links halfway between, going to show 

 that the different species of American trouts, 

 apparently distinct and widely separated and iso- 

 lated geographically, are but nature's variations 

 of a common stock, with links connecting them 

 all." 



These conclusions of the ichthyologists simply 

 confirm those of the angler-naturalists who have 

 grown gray in observing closely the habits and 

 markings of fish when angling for them in their 

 native waters ; and it may be added that coloration, 

 hitherto ignored as a factor in classification by 

 the scientists, seems to have much to do in the 

 identification, as distinct forms, of the salmon- 

 trouts of the Pacific slope. 



The fifth and final subspecies of our native 

 rainbow trout series is " the golden trout of Mt. 

 Whitney," California. (Salmo irideus agua bonita, 

 the subspecific name, translated literally, is "beau- 

 tiful water," the name, of a cascade on Volcano 

 Creek, near which this trout abounds.) This fish 

 has the most beautiful coloration of any of the 

 salmon-trouts, and it is appropriately called the 

 " golden trout," for a golden or orange tinge of 

 different depths of color may be seen on all parts 



