82 GILPIN — -ON THE TROUT AND SALMON. 



The eye Iaro;e, about two diameters from tip of nose ; nostrils double, nearer 

 the snout than the eye Of the fins, the dorsal has ten or eleven rays, not 

 counting the rudimentary ones, in shape irregularly rhomboid but the free 

 edge rounded or curved outward, the adipose fin varies, some sickle shaped 

 with free end very long, others having it very straight and short. The caudal 

 fin gently curved rather than cleft, but differing in individuals. Of the lower 

 fins, they all have the first ray very thick and flat, and always faced white with 

 a black edge, the other rays more or less red. The head is blunt and back 

 rounded when looked down upon. The teeth are upon the intermaxillary 

 bone, maxillary bones, the palatine, and about nine on the tongue. There 

 are none so called vomerine teeth, though now and then we find one tooth behind 

 the arch of the palate, where they are sometimes irregularly bunched together. 

 The colour varies but through all the variations there are forms of colour that 

 always persistent nnist be regarded as typical. There are always vei million 

 spots on the sides, there are always other spots, sometimes decided in outline, 

 in otheis diffused into dapples — but always present. The caudal and dorsal 

 fins are always spotted and of the prevailing hue of the body. The lower fin& 

 have always broad white edges lined with black and colored, with some modi- 

 fication of red. The chin and upper part of the belly is always white. With 

 these permanent markings, the body colour varies from horn colour, greenish, 

 grey, blue grey running into azure, black, and black with warm red on the 

 lower parts, dark green with bright yellow lower parts, and lastly in young fish, 

 vertical bands of dusky black. The spots are very bright and distinct when 

 in high condition or spawning, faint, diffused and running into dapples when in 

 poor condition. Of four trout purchased from a negro woman at Halifax, 

 Oct. 28, 1864, during the spawning season, three were dark green, bright 

 yellow spots, bright yellow bellies, dorsal fin spotted black on yellow ground, 

 caudal spotted black on scarlet ground ; lower fins scarlet with white facings 

 lined with black. The fourth was nearly black above washed with led, the 

 red becoming exceedingly vivid' on the belly, all the fins bright scarlet marked 

 as the others, spots bright scarlet — all had white chins, and stripe on the belly 

 white, spots in all very small and vermillion specs in all, all the hues were 

 most vivid and heightened by profuse nacre. This may be considered the colour 

 in the hightst condition. In others, the spots are very pale yellowish white 

 and running on the back into vermicular lines, the irides in all dark brown. I 

 have seen the rose or red coloured ones at all times of the year. The young 

 of the first year are green horn colour, with brown vertical stripes and bright 

 scarlet fins, and tail already showing the typical markings and spots, and also 

 the vermUlion specs. Fin rays D. 13, P. 13, V. 8, A. 10, Gill rays, 12. 

 Scales very small ; dorsal has two rudimentary rays, ten or eleven long ones, 

 varying in different fish. Typical marks, axillary plate nearly obsolete — free 

 end of maxillary sharp, bars in young, vermillion specs, both young and adult 

 lower fins red with white and black edge. 



Unlike the salmon who is always a stranger, this heautiful iish is 

 a favorite v/ith all. He is with iis the whole year, in hirge lakes, in 

 brooks, in tiny rills were the young lurk for security, and even in 

 the tide waters, to which he will always resoit. if in his powc>r. In 

 June, .18(36, I saw some of excecdhig beauty and (colouring- taken 

 from the tide waters of Diuljv basin. At the outlet or inlet of some 



