GILPIN— OK THE TROUT AND SALMON. 85 



free edge convex, the lower fins having the first rays in eaeh thicker and flatter 

 like the brook trout. The adipose fin varies, some with very long and arched 

 free end, in others small and straight. The specimen from the fresh water was 

 very much longer and thinner, and head proportionally larger. The colour of 

 those from the tideway was more or less dark greenish blue on back 

 shading to ash blue and white below, lips edged with dusky. The}-^ all had 

 faint cream coloured spots, both above and below the lateral line, with one 

 exception they all had vermilhon specks, but some only one of a side, others 

 two or three. The head in all greenish horn colour. The colour of the fins 

 in pectoral, ventral and anal, varied from pale white, blueish white to pale 

 orange, with a dusky streak on different individuals. Dorsal dusky with faint 

 spots, and caudal with dusky tips, on some a little orange wash. The lower 

 fins had the first ray fiat and white and edged with dusky. In two specimens 

 the entire fish was spotted with minute black spots on every part, save the 

 fins where the spots w'ere red, but I considered these to be diseased fish. 

 I leave it to better pens than my own to describe the glorious colouring of this 

 fish dripping from the ocean. The fair green vying with the tender blue of 

 the head and back, the silver of the sides, the lovely pink flesh showing through 

 the silver of the belly, and the catching reflections crossing everywhere. In the 

 vspecimen taken 10th Sept. from the fresh water, the blue and silver had dis- 

 appeared, and dingy ash colour had spread down below the lateral line ; the 

 greenish horn colour had spread itself over the whole gills except the chin, 

 which was white. The silvery reflections were all gone, the cream coloured 

 dapples were much more decided in colour and shape, and the vermillion specks 

 very numerous. The fins, the caudal and all the lower fins had an orange 

 wash, the dorsal dusky yellow with black spots, the lower fins retaining the 

 ■white flat ray with a dusky edging — and the caudal a few spots. 



The teeth of all were upon the intermaxillary, masillaries, palatine and 

 on the tongue, none on vomer except now and then one tooth behind the arch 

 of palate. 



Fin rays, D. 13, P. 13, V. 8, A. 10. Gill rays 12. Axillary scale 

 very small. Dorsal with two rudimentary rays, ten or eleven long ones, free 

 edo;e convex, first rav lower fins flat, scales very small but rather larger than 

 brook trout. 



The weight of this fish goes as high as seven pounds, their gen- 

 eral average is about two pounds. The flavor of their flesh exceeds 

 salmon when fresh, salted or pickled it is very drj-. I have said 

 before that from May till August he is taken in our tide waters, both 

 in the Bay of Fundy and along our Atlantic sea board and at Cape 

 Breton, After August he is found in the lakes and streams. C 

 Anderson, Esq., magistrate, informs me he has taken thein during win- 

 ter through the ice by bait, from one to twenty miles from the salt 

 water, and that he has often seen them returning to the sea in March. 

 Mr. John Duncan, St. Margaret's Bay, is of the same opinion. AVm. 

 C. Silver, Esq., of Halifax, who has studied their habits for yeaj-s, 

 and in waters running through his own lands, and almost past his 

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