08 THE BOTLING. 



a powerful fish, differing chiefly from the 

 common trout in its greater size, greater thick- 

 ness, and the marked manner in which its 

 under jaw is turned up and hooked. It varies 

 in weight from four pounds to twelve pounds ; 

 one of the latter weight, which he killed with 

 the lister, he found, on measuring, so thick, 

 that its girth exceeded its length by four inches. 

 In colouring and marking, he said, it also 

 resembled the ordinary lake trout, the brown 

 spots on its back being only proportionally 

 larger. 



AMICUS. Is it a monster lake trout that has 

 had the good fortune to escape capture, till 

 it has attained this, its goodly size ? or is it a 

 Salmo-ferox ? 



PISCATOR. I am disposed to consider it the 

 first, as I am told its teeth are like those of 

 the lake-trout; but on this information I cannot 

 depend, not having been given by a naturalist. 

 There being males only met with, may perhaps 

 be accounted for by the circumstance that 

 the female trout, in the act of spawning, is more 

 easily taken; and, consequently, none escape 

 long enough to attain so large a size. Here 

 is our boat and boatmen. Let us lose no time 



