GREAT GREY TROUT. 63 



The fin-rays in number in this specimen from Loch Awe 

 were 



D. 13 : P. 14 : V. 9 : A. 11 : C. 19. 



The specimens examined from Lough Neagh had one 

 ray less in the dorsal, pectoral, and anal fins, and one ray 

 more in the caudal fin. For an excellent account of this 

 fish, see the article Angling in the seventh edition of the 

 Encyclopaedia Britannica, from which I derive the following 

 description of the colours of this species, which was probably 

 taken from a recent specimen. 



" When in perfect season and full-grown, it is a very 

 handsome fish, though the head is always too large and long 

 to be in accordance with our ideas of perfect symmetry in a 

 Trout. The colours are deep purplish brown on the upper 

 parts, changing into reddish grey, and thence into fine orange 

 yellow on the breast and belly. The whole body, when the 

 fish is newly caught, appears as if glazed over with a thin 

 tint of rich lake colour, which fades away as the fish dies, 

 and so rapidly, that the progressive changes of colour are 

 easily perceived by an attentive eye. The gill-covers are 

 marked with large dark spots ; and the whole body is covered 

 with markings of different sizes, and varying in number in 

 different individuals. In some these markings are few, scat- 

 tered, and of a large size ; in others they are thickly set, and 

 of smaller dimensions. Each spot is surrounded by a paler 

 ring, which sometimes assumes a reddish hue ; and the spots 

 become more distant from each other as they descend be- 

 neath the lateral line. The lower parts of these fish are spot- 

 less. The dorsal fin is of the same colour with the upper 

 part of the fish ; it is marked with large dark spots ; the pec- 

 toral, ventral, and anal fins are of a rich yellowish green 

 colour, darker towards their extremities. The tail is remark- 



