THE SALMON-TROUT. 185 



silvery-white ; and above the lateral line the body is 

 spotted, as in the bull-trout, with large deep-black 

 spots, but fewer in number. The flesh is pink, of 

 high and delicate flavour, and much esteemed for 

 the table. In this respect it ranks next to the 

 salmon, and by some is even more esteemed than 

 that princely species. 



In its smaller or younger state (8. albus?) it 

 presents very nearly the same appearance in respect 

 to proportion, form, and colour. They approach 

 in this state the mouths of rivers towards the end 

 of July, and immediately enter the fresh waters, 

 often in immense profusion, so that an angler 

 may capture almost any quantity without the 

 exercise of great skill. Sir William Jardine re- 

 gards them as even " annoying from their quantity" 

 when the angler is casting for salmon. We cannot 

 say we ever felt the annoyance greatly, although 

 with a friend we have sometimes killed above 

 seventy in a few hours, in addition to a salmon or 

 two, and several gilse. In some of our northern 

 counties they are not commercially accounted for 

 by their hired captors, that is, they are regarded 

 as among the perquisites of the kayners or taxmen 

 of the salmon fisheries, surely a regardless and 

 ill-advised regulation, seeing that from 500 to 1000 

 are sometimes taken at a single hawl of the sweep- 

 net. They are also taken in equal numbers in the 

 Solway in houses of the stake-nets, covered for the 

 purpose with a mesh of smaller size than usual, 

 and are afterwards carried off" in cart loads to the 

 country markets. The flesh of this smaller fish 



