236 COMMON TROUT. 



and members; the head lengthened, rather attenuated towards 

 the nose, the fins all lengthened, very sharp-pointed and powerful, 

 the dorsal rising high in front; first ray of the anal fin double 

 the length of the last; tail deeply forked, the outer points turning 

 inward and sharp; form of the scales under the microscope 

 longer in proportion, and considerably narrower than in any of 

 the others. The colours not so brilliant as in the first, but 

 beautiful, shading from a deep olive brown to greyish yellow, 

 the spots large and distinct, round, in a pale field. 



The third variety is from a small alpine loch upon the 

 Benmire range, at a very considerable elevation. It is situated 

 in a tract of moss, but the bottom is rocky or gravelly, the 

 water rather transparent but of a dull tint, the rock of the 

 surrounding country limestone. Compared with either of the 

 former the distinctions of shape were very evident; head very 

 round, nose blunt; the length to the extremity of the gill-covers 

 proportionally great, body very thick, deep and round; fins thick 

 and muscular, the lower ones rounded at the extremity; tail 

 square. The ground colour deep purplish olive, shading from 

 greyish to golden yellow, the whole, including the fins, glossed 

 over with a rich shade of pale purple; the upper parts and 

 gill-covers thickly spotted with well-defined round sepia-coloured 

 spots, some placed in a pale space; below the lateral line 

 thinner and more scattered; the flesh red and firm. 



A fourth variety is generally of small size, and very plentiful 

 in the district of Assynt, in Sutherland, where every narrow 

 valley has a large number of lochs of various extent; and in 

 a large extent of country the fish resemble each other: rather 

 thickly formed, fins of moderate length, tail much forked; the 

 upper parts of a rich olive brown colour, a bright yellow beneath; 

 the upper two thirds of the body, gill-covers, and dorsal fin 

 thickly covered with large round black spots in a pale circle; 

 on the ridge of the back these spots are often united. 



The fifth variety is from a series of lochs between Blchkonich 

 and Laxford, and in the river Laxford, which issues from Loch 

 Strach. The body comparatively short, but remarkably deep, the 

 fins very short, rounded and muscular, and of a Tench-like shape, 

 different from any of the others; the head remarkable for its 

 great length. Colours not brilliant; the spots large, but widely 

 asunder; the flesh white and soft. From the remark that the 



