THE TALE OF THE FISHES 



on his escutcheon and no red band across the second 

 dorsal. The yellow trout is the darling of the British 

 heart, and in our waters it has won the affections of 

 many an American angler. The salmo of the Scottish 

 loch was unquestionably a recent sea-going form. The 

 brown trout has from time out of mind been a non- 

 migratory resident of lake, river and brook. As you 

 see in the picture which presents the markings char- 

 acteristic of the fish in its native burns and ponds, it is 

 golden with purplish reflections along the back and 

 sides and more or less covered with black and ver- 

 milion spots. The tints and character of the speckles 

 differ with the habitat. Those trout that live on crus- 

 tacean food flaunt the most brilliant hues and their 

 meat becomes blood red, with the creamy curd between 

 the flesh flakes. 



In certain American streams, the brown trout has 

 developed game qualities superior to those of the native 

 brook trout sharing its place of abode. It puts up a 

 better fight and does full justice to its Anglo-Saxon 

 name of Sceo/a, a shooter or darter. On the Navesink 

 the fisher whose creel is largely made up of brown 

 trout is considered more expert than he who principally 



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