156 THE BRITISH NATURE BOOK 



or " Baggits." The young fish, when an inch or so long, are known as " Parrs " 

 or " Samlets " (also " Pinks," " Brandlings," and " Fingerlings "). As they grow 

 older they become " Smolts," when they assume their silver coats and for 

 the first time go down to the sea. Those that come back early to spawn are 

 " Grilse," and not until descending to the sea for the second time do they 

 become mature " Salmon." 



The Salmon Trout (S. trutta, or Fario argentius}, also called SEA TROUT, 

 is a rather thicker fish, marked with many X -shaped darkish spots. It does 

 not grow so large as the Salmon, though sometimes it reaches from 20 to 

 25 Ib. Its habits are much the same as the Salmon. 



The Grey Trout, or BULL TROUT (S. eriox), called the SEWEN in Welsh 

 rivers, is not so frequent or so large. 



The Trout. This is the name given to many species and varieties of the 

 genus Salmo. 



The Common Trout (Salmo fario, or Solar ausonii) is the favourite fish 

 of many anglers, and is found in almost all our rivers. Occasionally a very 

 large fish is caught for example, a monster in the New River at Harringay 

 Park, 1907, weighed 18 Ib. ; one caught at Salisbury weighed 25 Ib. None 

 the less a fish of i Ib. is considered a fine specimen in most of our rivers. In 

 colour the trout varies a good deal ; it is more or less yellow, but sometimes 

 almost black or violet. On the back and sides are many spots of black and 

 red ; the under parts are silvery white or yellow. The colour varies accord- 

 ing to the character of the water in which it lives and the food it can obtain. 



It is a voracious species, taking worms, slugs, and insects, small crustaceans 

 and shell-fish, as well as other small fish. It spawns in October and November, 

 when the male acquires a peculiar elongation of the lower jaw, like that of 

 the Salmon, but not so accentuated. The ova is deposited in gravel beds, 

 like the Salmon's. The young fish is called an " Alevin." 



The Lochleven Trout (S. levenensis, or cazcifer) and the Great Lake 

 Trout (S. ferox) are two other British species. 



The Charr (S. salvelinus) is found only in the English Lake District, and 

 in the breeding season is known by its bright red and orange-coloured abdomen ; 

 but at all seasons it is a handsome fish of bright and pleasing colour. 



The Grayling (Thymallus valgaris) is distinguished by the many rays on the 

 dorsal fin and the smaller mouth. In colour the back and sides are silver- 

 grey, spotted with black on the head and body and light on the fins, the 

 latter in the spawning season being banded with red. It gets its Latin name 

 from the fact that when freshly caught it has a smell like wild thyme. 



THE PIKE (Esox Indus). 



This well-known fish the pirate of fresh water has a long body, with 

 its dorsal fin set close to the tail ; a great mouth armed with strong teeth, the 

 under jaw projecting. It is olive-grey above, silvery -white beneath, banded 



