IX. 



CONNECTICUT STREAMS. 



ALL along the northern shore of Long Island Sound, 

 running down through the rocky "back-bone" of Connec- 

 ticut, which is generally only three or four miles distant 

 from the Sound, are streams of water which used to 

 abound in trout. Perhaps they do so still, but it is some 

 years since I have fished them. I know that some of 

 these streams are now preserved, and yield abundant 

 recompense to their guardians. 



The salt-water trout, as some call them, differ in no re- 

 spect from the mountain trout. And whether their flavor 

 is improved by access to the salt water is a matter of 

 taste. The rich red color of their meat is probably due 

 to the abundance of shrimp and shell-fish on which they 

 feed. And this is also the most probable reason for the 

 variation in the color of the meat of inland trout. Most 

 of our lakes and slow running streams abound in fresh- 

 water shrimp, which are a favorite food of trout. They 

 are small, but can be found by thousands in masses of 

 weed and water plants, and where they are thus seen 

 the trout will invariably be found to have red meat. In 

 swift running streams the shrimp are not found, and the 

 meat of the trout is white. Probably other food of a 

 similar character, possibly snails and small shell-fish, con- 

 tribute to the ruddy tint of the flesh. As a general rule. 



