THE WHITLING. 265 



aware of, and there are few waters frequented by salmon 

 but what are common to both ; neither can it be ascribed 

 to any material change in the quality of the water, or of 

 the spawning-grounds, or a deficiency of food, as there have 

 been no fresh mines opened out to cause an influx of 

 mineral waters into the Coquet for many years, while the 

 spawning-beds and the supply of food must be essenti- 

 ally the same as in former times. The cause of the change, 

 then, remains shrouded in mystery. 



THE WHITLING SALMO TRUTTA. 



I have heard it asserted by sportsmen ignorant of 

 ichthyology, that this fish is only to be found in Tweed 

 and its tributaries ; but this is quite a mistake, as the 

 whitling is neither more nor less than the salmo trutta, 

 or white trout, salmon-trout, sea-trout, or whitling by 

 all of which names it is known in different parts of the 

 country and it frequents most of the salmon rivers both 

 in Scotland and Ireland. In size this fish generally 

 runs from fifteen to twenty inches in length, and from 

 one and a half to three pounds in weight. It is rather 

 a longer and thinner fish than the other members of the 

 salmonidae, and is destitute of either black or red spots 

 on the sides, which, together with the back, are of a 

 light grayish olive, while the belly is white and silvery 

 hence its name of white trout or whitling ; and in gene- 

 ral aspect it more nearly resembles the eriox than the 

 salmon proper. Its flesh is of a beautiful pink tint, and 

 ; n delicacy and richness of flavour is nearly equal to the 



