THE GREAT LAKE TROUT. 251 



ferocity, for it will return to the same bait, once 

 and again, even after it has previously been dragged 

 by its bristling hooks for a distance of forty or fifty 

 yards. We once saw a Salmo ferox frighten a silk- 

 mercer nearly out of his senses. We had consented 

 to take the latter across one of our northern lakes, 

 and in so doing we killed a goodly thirteen pounder, 

 which we dropped on the moist and slimy bottom 

 of our boat, without taking the usual humane pre- 

 caution to stun it by a blow upon the skull. Mr. 

 T. Perkins, in stepping over the thafts, inadver- 

 tently trod upon its tail, on which S. ferox, whether 

 maliciously or merely mechanically, we cannot say, 

 gave a sudden heave with such convulsive force, as 

 actually to raise his gaping head and brawny 

 shoulders upright into the air, exactly as if he 

 meant to make a snap at the intruding Cockney, 

 whose faithless footing owned " the soft impeach- 

 ment," and he fell across his seat in terror and dis- 

 may. One of the party concerned ($. /) actually 

 died in consequence before we got on shore, and the 

 other two had also nearly expired, the silk-mercer 

 with fear, ourself with laughter. 



When in perfect season, and full-grown, the 

 species in question is rather a handsome fish, 

 though the head is always too large and prolonged 

 to be in accordance with our ideas of perfect sym- 

 metry in a trout. The body is deep and thickly 

 formed, and all the members seem conducive to the 

 exercise of great strength. The colours are deep 

 purplish brown on the upper parts, changing into 

 reddish grey, and thence into fine orange-yellow on 



