Natural History of the River Trout. 167 



distinctive characters worth anything to form a 

 species are the number of the vertebras in the 

 one fifty-nine to sixty; in the other, fifty-six to 

 fifty-eight, but these are not constant. When one 

 compares the genus, we find the vertebrae in the 

 Salmonidae range from sixty in the salmon to 

 fifty-six in the river trout. It will be a source 

 of great interest, and tend to while away many an 

 unprofitable hour by the river-side or elsewhere, if 

 practical anglers would study this question. My 

 own belief is that the two varieties will be found 

 in most of the rivers of Great Britain. 



It may be difficult to believe that the little 

 trout found in many of the hill streams in upland 

 countries, with finger-marks on his side, is the same 

 species, as that splendid fellow of fifteen pounds 

 just taken out of Shepperton Weir, or those 

 beauties of three or four pounds each, with such 

 silver sides and black spots, So-and-so has taken 

 in the Kennet, at Chiltern Bridge or Savernake, 

 or at Whitchurch or Winchester ; or as that lovely 

 bronzed-coloured fellow from this or that loch in 

 the highlands of Scotland ; but so I believe it is, 

 and that every so-called species of non-migratory 

 trout in Great Britain may be put down as a simple 

 variety of that prince of fishes the Salmo fario. 



