lOO Natural History of the Sea Trout, 



I do not doubt, on further inquiry into the subject, 

 all these fish will be found to be only varieties 

 of the same species modified by climate, water, 

 locality, light, air, and so forth. The Galway 

 sea trout is nothing but 5. trutta modified by 

 special locality. The same may be said of the 

 Sal7no nigripennis. The distinction of the black 

 pectoral fins is not sufficient difference to form 

 a new species, and is probably entirely dependent 

 on the soil of the loch and local causes. The 

 vomerine teeth are the same as the Salmo trutta and 

 not o{ Salmo far io. It is another instance of the 

 sea trout confined in a fresh water loch, and thus 

 altering its condition. 



The Salmo Levenensis ^ again, although there is no 

 record as to when they were introduced into the 

 Loch Leven, can hardly be doubted to be a descen- 

 dent of the Salmo trutta. A similar fish exists in 

 the Island of Lismore, introduced some thirty years 

 ago. MacuUoch, "Journal of the Royal Society, 

 Edinburgh," states this, and says that the sea 

 trout was transported to this fresh water loch 

 without the power of visiting the sea, and is per- 

 fectly reconciled to their prison, and propagate 

 their species without difficulty. The flesh is of the 



^ Since this was written Dr. Day, I believe, has been able 

 to prove the fact of the Sahno trutta being the original pro- 

 genitor of the Loch Leven trout. 



