THK 1'1,'KSH-WATEK FISHES OF EUROl'K. 



termination of the anal fin, which is placed far back, and the vent is only removed 

 from the beginning- of the caudal fin by one head-length. The ventral fins are 

 below the hinder half of the dorsal ; their rays are shorter than those of the 

 pectoral and anal. The pectoral fins are rounded rather than pointed ; the 

 caudal varies with age, and may be forked, truncated, or rounded, and the 

 terminal rays may be of unequal length. 



The scales are nearly circular, very small, and thin, without rays, and 

 finely striped concentrically. They are largest on the lateral line, smaDer on 

 the back and belly, and smallest at the base of the tail, where they partly cover 

 the middle rays of the caudal fin. There are fully one hundred and twenty 

 scales in the lateral line, which is horizontal for about half its length. The 

 course of the cephalic mucus-canals is traced by round pores, but the branches 

 are not conspicuous. 



The number of pyloric appendages to the intestine varies from thirty - 

 eight to fifty-one, acccording- to Giinther. They are longest in front. 



The colour of the Trout varies extremely with food, and condition of the 

 water. Even in the same brook it is rare for many to be absolutely alike, so 

 that no common colouring can be given, beyond saying that the head, body, 

 and dorsal fin generally carry numerous red and black spots, that the black 

 spots often have a pale edging, and that they may be round, irregular, or 

 X-shaped. The anterior part of the dorsal, anal, and ventral fins is generally 

 yellow. As a rule the ground-colour of the body is brownish or brown ish- 

 black, though the fishes become darker where the stream is shady; and it is this 

 dark variety, distinguished as Steinforelle in Austria, and Stenoring in Sweden, 

 that is commonly termed the Black Trout. These darker forms often have 

 the bright red spots on the sides surrounded by a light-coloured ring-. They 

 reach a weight of four to five pounds. 



The Alpine or Mountain Trout has the body covered with much smaller 

 and more numerous brown, black, and red spots, which extend on to the head, 

 but the belly is whitish, and, according to Bloch, the head is green with some 

 golden margins to the mouth, and opercular elements. 



The Golden, or Pond Trout, which lives in brooks or ponds with a gravelly 

 bottom, through which spring-water runs, may have the sides glistening 

 with golden-yellow, and covered with bright red round spots, which are often 

 enclosed in a blue ring, and the dorsal fin may be spotted with purple. In 

 lakes the colours are commonly less bright, and grey predominates with large, 

 irregular black spots ; but if these varieties, which vary in weight as much as 

 in colour, are put into the same pond, they gradually lose their peculiarities, 

 and become uniform. Exceptionally the red spots may be replaced by white 

 points or black specks ; but, as a rule, the purer the water the brighter the 



