Natural History of the River Trout, i "j^^^ 



way have migrated there, because in all tidal rivers 

 the lower reaches of the stream consist of neutral 

 water — sweet half the day, and brackish the other 

 half. The brown trout which inhabit these reaches 

 would of necessity acquire some of the characters 

 of the sea trout — would they not ? — and I should 

 not myself consider them to be hybrid, because 

 nature does not make, and therefore as a rule 

 produce, unproductive fish." 



Taking all the various causes for change of 

 colour in the common trout, I can only come to 

 the conclusion that there is only one species of the 

 Salmo fario in Great Britain, and that the so-called 

 species of Couch and other authors are only varieties 

 of this fish. 



What becomes of the trout in winter } Do they 

 hibernate } 



Mr. Houghton (loc. cit), in his paragraph upon 

 " Trout Spawning," makes this remark : *' Sterile 

 examples are known to occur, and have frequently 

 been taken. In such cases, the trout are in 

 season in January and February, being excellent 

 food." So Walton says: "So there be some 

 barren trouts that are good in winter; but there 

 are not many that are so." Trout to be excellent 

 food in January and February must have had them- 

 selves excellent food, and where is that to be got 

 in January and February, except in the most open 



