THE TROUT 55 



The Trout of Japan and of the Pacific slope of 

 North America belong to species distinct from 

 ours. 



In the British Isles there is only one species of 

 Trout, which is identical with the Trout of Sweden, 

 named by Linnaeus Salmo trutta. Linnaeus re- 

 garded the Sea-trout (S. eriox) and the Brook- 

 trout (S. fario] as distinct from the River-trout 

 (S. trutta), and since his time additional names have 

 been bestowed on a number of our native Trout, 

 which have been recognized by various writers as 

 different species. Some of the forms which have 

 been thus distinguished are the Phinock or Eastern 

 Sea -trout (S. albus, S. brachypomd], the Sewen or 

 Western Sea-trout (S. cainbricus), estuarine Trout 

 (S. estuarius, S. orcadensis^ S. gallivensis\ the Great 

 Lake Trout (S. ferox\ the Lochleven Trout (S. 

 levenensis], the Irish gillaroo (S. stomachicus), and 

 the Black-finned Trout of some of the Welsh 

 mountain tarns (S. nigripinnis). 



All these are here regarded as pertaining to one 

 variable species, which differs from the Salmon 

 especially in the less graceful form, the deeper 

 caudal peduncle, the stronger maxillary, and the 

 less emarginate caudal fin ; whilst the dorsal fin- 

 rays are often fewer, the rows of scales on the tail 

 are usually more numerous, and there are other 

 distinctive characters, some of which have already 

 been mentioned. 



In the British Isles the Trout is found all round 

 the coasts and in most suitable lakes and rivers, in 

 some localities attaining a weight of as much as 

 50 Ibs., but in small tarns and brooks often 

 averaging only 3 or 4 ounces, and rarely growing 



