172 Natural History of the River Trout. 



beautiful wgrk, published 1880, the Rev. W. 

 Houghton says, under description of Salmo fario: 

 "Trout are inhabitants of fresh water, brackish 

 water, and salt water." I do not think that the 

 trout found in salt water is our river trout. The 

 fish that is found in the estuaries of the rivers 

 of the north most probably are hybrids between 

 the Salmo trutta and fario. I have taken sea 

 trout in these estuaries so like a brown trout that 

 it is impossible to tell the difference. Mr. H. 

 also says : " There seems no doubt that the 

 common brown trout, though normally a non- 

 migratory species, is frequently migratory in its 

 habits, and descends to the sea, where the ordinary 

 brown spots and trout coloration are exchanged 

 for X spots and a silvery hue." 



" This," he says, " leads me to notice a trout, 

 which, I think, is merely a variety of 5. fario ; 

 the Slob trout, or tidal trout, occurring in some 

 localities." Mr. Houghton gives a description of 

 their habits from a Mr. Haynes, of Cork, as he has 

 seen them on the river there. But it would be well 

 to ascertain their dentition and many other circum- 

 stances before coming to the conclusion that they 

 were the common 5. fario, living in salt and 

 brackish water. 



Mr. Seymour Haden writes : " It is not necessary 

 to suppose that the brown trout found in the tide- 



