2o8 THE SEA-TROUT 



type of sea-trout to which I have referred as to entitle it to rank rather 

 as a species per se than as a mere race, or variety, of another species. 

 In other words the bull trout may fairly claim to be the species Salmo 

 tmtta of the genus Salmo. 



What, then, is that other type of sea-trout? I think the foregoing 

 life-history suggests that the fish which we familiarly call a sea-trout is 

 no other than the common trout of these islands which has developed 

 the migratory habit to an extreme extent. Carrying the matter to its 

 necessary conclusion, if we recognise as a distinct species " the common 

 trout {Salmo fario) " we shall find within the species certain trout which 

 do not migrate at all, certain other trout which haunt estuarial waters, 

 and still other trout which frankly migrate to and from the sea. Well 

 may it be said that the trout is a variable and plastic species, but it is 

 mainly so as the species Salmo fario and in relationship only to the 

 environment it elects to frequent. 



These are then briefly the grounds on which I would suggest for the 

 genus Salmo the three species of (i) Salmo salar, with its sole repre- 

 sentative the salmon, (2) Salmo trtiita, with, as its sole representative, 

 the " bull trout," and (3) Salmo fario, with, as its representatives, trout 

 both migratory and non-migratory. In suggesting this classification I 

 would warn the reader that the whole subject still remains very much 

 in the region of theory. 



If besides being an angler the reader happens to be practically 

 interested in the development of either a trout or a sea-trout fishery, he 

 will recognise the importance of having this matter definitely elucidated, 

 and no doubt he will wonder, as I do, why the matter has not long ago 

 been cleared up. My hope is that these chapters will develop a more 

 active interest in the subject, because none of us at present can say with 

 any degree of assurance just precisely what a trout is, and what is a 

 sea-trout. 



