356 



PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



In my experience as a fisherman in Scotland and Ireland, 

 I never knew of our river-trout being captured in the sea. 

 On Long Island, what is there called the brook-trout (Salmo 

 fontinalis) is well known periodically, when practicable, to 

 visit salt-water ; in fact, they are constantly taken with the 

 fly in the tidal portion of those streams. The char of Nor- 

 way and Sweden does the same, and I can only say that 

 both these fish are wondrously alike. On the other hand, 

 the brilliant-colored inhabitants of the interior lakes of 

 Maine that I have mentioned can not do so, for, if they 

 survived the descent of the Burling Falls, their ascent 

 would be impossible. Although the Arctic char goes to 

 the sea, the more resplendent colored relation remains, I 

 think, constantly in his fresh-water retreats id est, sup- 

 posing this is a char. To me it would be particularly in- 

 teresting to know if my surmises as to the proper -species 

 of this beautiful fish are correct; and doubtless there are 

 numbers of English fishermen whose verdict, even from my 

 imperfect description, would set at rest a point important 

 both to naturalist and sportsman.* 



* Since the above was written, the surmises of the author are found to 

 be correct. 



