8 THE FRESH- WATER TROUT. 



Skene, MofFat-water, the Annan, the Esk, the Liddle, 

 and the case is exactly similar. Ascend the rivers of 

 Perthshire the Tay, the Earn, the Almond, the Isla, the 

 Tummell, and the Garry : or its smaller streams, such 

 as May, Ruchil, Erochty. Go to Lochs Tay, Earn, 

 Tummel, Rannoch, Freuchie, Broom, Turit ; or retreat 

 northward, as far as Boss-shire, to the Conan, Black- 

 water, Meig, and Orrin, to Lochs Luichart, Led- 

 gowan, Achnanault, Garve ; or to a spot in that county 

 embracing, within a short distance of each other, four 

 small lakes, Lochs Laran, Nech Beann, na-Dhream, and 

 Achilty ; each of which has its own peculiar breed of 

 trout, differing in size, shape, quality, and external 

 appearance. To every stream and range of water men- 

 tioned, and I have caught trout in all, the fact here 

 stated applies ; and to adduce, as could easily be done, 

 additional evidence in corroboration from other districts 

 of Scotland, I esteem quite unnecessary. 



In entering, as has been done, into details upon 

 this subject, it may be asked what purpose I have in 

 view ; or, in other words, does the fact of there being 

 such numerous varieties of the fresh-water trout assist 

 in forming any conclusions beneficial to science? I 

 leave this to be judged of and considered by others 

 better adapted for the task than I am. One or two 

 observations, however, I venture to make relative to 

 the varieties in question; and first I hold, that trout, 

 on being transferred, whether by accident or otherwise, 

 from their parent stream or lake to another range of 

 water, rapidly undergo a great change; one, however, 

 that does not affect their external marks or embel- 

 lishments, which features I therefore regard as best 

 denoting the breed or variety. 



For instance, the trout of Teviot carried accidentally 



