FAMILY SALMONIDiE. 235 



FAMIL Y SALM OMD. E. 



Body more or less scaly. Two dorsals ; the first wi!h arlicidali-d rays, /he second adipose. 

 Numerous cmcal appendages, and an air-hkidder. Excessively voracious. Great varia- 

 tion in the ar?}iatiire nf the Jaw.';. Inhalri/i/ig fresh and salt water. 



GENUS SALMO. 



Branchial viembranc xvith more than eight rays. Anal fin ivith less than thirteen rays. 



THE BROOK TROUT. 



Salmo i-ostinjlis. 



PLATE XXXVIII. FIO. liO. 



S- jontmalis, New-Yurtc Troxii. Mitchill, Report ia part, &c. p. 52. 



S. id.. Common Trout. Id. Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. V^ol. 1, p. 315. 



Ri:d Spotted Trout. DotJGHTV, Cabinet Nat. Hist. Vol. 1, p. 145, p!. 13. 



\cw-Yorl: Ctiar. RiciiAi:i)so.\, F. B. A. Vol. 3, p. 170, pi. 83, 'n^. 1, and pi. 87, I'lg. 2. 



S. foutinalis. Storer, Kcport on the Fishes of I\Iassachusctts, p. lOG. 



Characteristics. Willi vermilion clots, and larger yellow spots in the vicinity of the lateral 

 line. Gill-covers with no defined spots. Length 6 - 20 inches. 



Description. Body oblong, compressed ; back broad and rounded. Head sloping nearly 

 symmetrically from above and beneath ; ecpial to one-fifth of the total length, or equal to the 

 interval between the ventrals and anal. Scales minute, oblong, imbedded in the skin. Late- 

 ral line slightly curved downward. Nostrils equidistant between the eyes and snout, with a 

 double opening ; the posterior closed by a valve. Branchial rays twelve. Ijabial armed with 

 numerous acute incurved tcclli, nearly to the extremities ; somewhat shorter on the interma- 

 .\illaries. Tongue with from four to six teeth on each side. About twelve recurved teetii on 

 each side of the palatines, and from six to eight on the vomer. 



The first dorsal fin equidistant between the pectoral and the adipose fin ; quadrate, with its 

 base equal in length to the fourth or fifth ray ; the first ray very short, and the two following 

 gradually longer ; from the fifth, the rays gradually diminish in length to die last ; the first 

 three rays simple. Adipose dorsal somewhat pointed behind, and nearly equal in Iciiglh to 

 the diameter of the eye ; it is placed above the last four rays of the anal. Caudal deeply 

 emarginatc. The intestines scarcely exceed the body in length. Stomach stout and mus- 

 cular, filled with remains of earth-worms, water beetles, etc. ; csca numerous. .Vir-bladder 

 occupying the whole length of the abdomen, simple, cylindrical, slightly tapering behind. 



Color. Body above with irregular dark markings on a horn-colored ground, which, in freshly 

 taken specimens, gives bluish metallic reflections. Sides bluish, mixed with silvery white ; 

 the whole underside silvery. Upper ]iart of the head dark greenish brown, with obscure 



