10 PISH AND FISHING IN SCOTLAND. 



the trout and sea trout ; and, no doubt, there exist species of 

 the great class Salmonidse, which not only fill up the voids in 

 the natural families, and in all the species, but even connect 

 these with other fishes, on which the name Salmonidse would be 

 improperly bestowed. 



Now, in regard to the species of the three great natural 

 families I have already named, I may observe, that in Scotland 

 the*re are at the least, four distinct species of trout, namely : 



I. 1st. The dark-spotted lake trout. 

 2nd. The red-spotted estuary trout. 



These are the best of their kind, they have pink-coloured flesh, 

 and are excellent to eat. 



3rd. The red-spotted common river trout, with pale flesh, and 

 tasteless. 



4th. The pink-coloured red-spotted common river trout, chiefly 

 found in England. 



5th. The parr trout, rather better, when fed in certain rivers, 

 than the common red-spotted trout, but never equal to the pink- 

 coloured fish. 



6th. The dark-spotted river trout, of whose natural history I 

 know but little, although I believe such a trout exists ; and 



7th. The Salmo Ferox, or great lake trout of the North. 



II. Of the Salmo Salar, or sea trout, the angler will 

 meet with several species, hitherto not well determined. One 

 ascends the rivers earlier than the other ; it is the common Sea 

 Trout. The other takes to the fresh water streams at a later 

 period of the year ; it is the so-called Bull Trout. 



III. Of true salmon there are no doubt several species ; but I 

 have not been able to discover their characteristic differences. 



Lastly, of doubtful fish there is, 



1st. The Parr. 



2nd. A fish with the external appearance of a salmon, but with 

 a dentition combining that of the common river trout and sea 

 trout or salmon. 



3rd. A fish strongly resembling a salmon, and almost as good 

 to eat, which appears in the London markets early in October ; it 

 is marked all over with darkish spots, like some trout. The fish, 

 I have been told, comes from Scotland, but I have not met with 

 it there. 



