250 BRITISH FRESH-WATER FISHES 



thicker proportion of the bull-trout to its length ; it has also 

 a rounder, coarser head than the salmon ; the dark spots on 

 the gill-covers and scales are more numerous and larger. 

 Thousands of bull-trout are eaten by unsuspecting townsfolk 

 as salmon, although the market price for the first is always 

 considerably lower than for the second. The flesh is of the 

 same beautiful " salmon colour," but it is much less richly 

 flavoured, and is of a disagreeable dry texture when cooked. 

 Sportsmen look with no favour upon the bull-trout, because, 

 although it is taken by the same flies and other baits as are 

 used in salmon-fishing, it is a fish far less disposed than the 

 salmon to take any lure whatever. Indeed, the chances of 

 hooking a bull-trout, except in the kelt stage, even in a river 

 swarming with them, are so poor that few men would be at 

 the pains to angle for them. 



Bull-trout are very numerous on the coast of Northumberland 

 and Berwick, and are practically the only migratory Salmonid^ 

 frequenting the rivers Coquet and Aln. The proprietors of 

 the Coquet, which, in size and character of channel, is all that 

 could be desired for a salmon river, have long held the belief 

 that bull-trout had expelled the true salmon from their stream, 

 and that salmon would return if bull-trout could be put down. 

 Accordingly the Inspectors of Fisheries recommended that the 

 statutory annual close-time should be suspended in the Coquet, 

 and that bull-trout should be destroyed during the spawning 

 season, as well as at other times. This having been done in 

 1868, the massacre began and was continued for four years, 

 with the following result : — 



In 1868, 28,107 bull-trout were killed. 

 In 1869, 17,211 ,, „ „ 



In 1870, 11,457 ). ,. 



In 1871, 13,622 „ „ „ 



Total in four years, 70,397 

 After that, the undertaking to exterminate bull-trout was 



