NATURAL HISTORY OF BRITISH SALMONID&. 163 



the local lions. A writer who visited the pools some years ago 

 as an investigator avouches the croaking. ' When first taken,' 

 he says, ' and even after they have been in the basket for some 

 time, they do decidedly utter a peculiar croak, which the natives 

 attribute to their having been bewitched by the monks of Strata- 

 florida Abbey ; others again assert that it is an attempt to 

 speak Welsh ! ' Although owing to the colour of the water which 

 niters through the peat these trout are nearly black, the spots 

 are of rich crimson and well defined, and the fins edged with 

 the same colour. They will take the fly, it appears, three or 

 four at a time, and thus afford unlimited sport to those who 

 care for numbers more than size. When cooked the flavour of 

 Carraclwddy trout is delicious, and Lord Lismore, to whom 

 the pools belong, has large quantities of them potted, when 

 connoisseurs consider them equal to charr. 



Instances of such varieties might easily be multiplied, but 

 whenever there can be any reasonable doubt as to their specific 

 distinctions I am all for simplifying rather than for complicating. 

 The fewer unnecessary species that are created by ichthyologists, 

 the more chance has ichthyology of becoming generally popular, 

 especially amongst fishermen. 



In regard to each of the two admittedly distinct species a 

 few general observations will probably enable the reader to 

 distinguish them without the necessity of resorting to a minute 

 comparison. 



We have not in the present case the same prominent 

 differences in the teeth, shape of the gill covers, c., by which 

 the migratory trout and salmon are so clearly defined, and for 

 ready points of distinction we must rely upon colour, external 

 proportion, and localities ; these however will generally be 

 found sufficient for the purpose. Thus : 



The common yellow trout breeds indifferently in brooks, 

 rivers, and lakes, whilst the great lake trout is never found except 

 in or close to lakes (generally large and deep). 



The common trout is almost always spotted over the body 

 with crimson, the spots in the great lake trout being in each 

 case surrounded by a paler ring, sometimes of a reddish hue. 



M 2 



