416 ME. F. BA.Y ON BEITISH SALMONES. 



and Thompson, ' Natural History of Ireland' (1856), iv. p. 151, 

 adopted tlie same view ; while it is worthy of note that examples 

 of the species here referred to are still in the National museum 

 received from the collections of Tarrell and Parnell. 



Lastly, Dr. Griinther, in the ' Catalogue of Pishes in the British 

 Museum' (1866), vi. p. 23, with a more extended collection, re- 

 verted to the opinion of Pennant, and remarked how the species 

 differed from S. trutta, five out of seven of his types being from 

 Yarrell's and Parnell' s collections. But, probably due to some 

 oversight, he placed all the synonyms of /if. albus under the head 

 of S. trutta, even when the authors had referred to both. It 

 thus came to pass that this northern species, or S. albus, has 

 since 1866 been known as S. Irachypoma, Giinther, which is the 

 more remarkable, as, prior to the publication of the volume 

 referred to, the author was able to record in the Addenda, p. 357, 

 that he had received examples from the Beauly, " and that they 

 are named there ' Phinok.' " 



Pinally, I may observe that now we possess absolute proof of 

 what previously has been supposed by most practical anglers 

 and ichthyologists — a change of habitat may eventuate in a 

 structural change in trout so marked, that either the New- 

 Zealand forms, aU descended from our brook-trout, must be 

 allowed specific rank, or the six various species of non-migra- 

 tory freshwater forms admitted into the British-Museum Cata- 

 logue must be relegated to Balmofario. "We find the number of 

 vertebrae in all six may undoubtedly exist in one form ; while 

 the csDcal appendages may be augmented in number to an extent 

 unknown in this country. That the size of the great lake-trout 

 may be attained by the brook-trout indulging in luxurious food 

 and resident in a suitable habitat is also evident; while the 

 largest races may become dwarfed by insufficient or inappropriate 

 food and unsuitable localities. 



This question of whether our non-migratory freshwater trout 

 (excluding the Loch-Leven) are local races or distinct species is 

 not merely a curious one or o£ passing interest, but has, I 

 believe, a practical bearing upon pisciculture. If all these races 

 are distinct species and they were interbred, hybridswould result ; 

 and hybrids have a tendency towards sterility : but we are told 

 they are as prolific as the parent stock. This last fact goes 

 towards corroborating my contention, which is, that we are not 

 dealing with species and obtaining hybrids, but we are crossing 



