THE SALMON-TROUT- 297 



three to nine ; nor is it possible to distinguish S. trutta 

 by the teeth only, from some of the varieties of Eriox, at 

 least not before the fish has reached the length of twenty 

 inches, when it will be found that S. trutta has retained 

 from seven to nine of these teeth, and that S. eriox and va- 

 rieties have lost all except a few, and those confined to the 

 most anterior extremity. They have now arrived at that 

 age to reproduce their species in the months before men- 

 tioned, although it is said by fishermen that they spawn 

 on their first visit to the rivers, but I have not as yet been 

 able to detect in them roe of sufficient size to lead me to 

 that conjecture. 



Independent of the statements of naturalists of high au- 

 thority, who assert that the Herling (Sahno albas of Dr 

 Fleming) is a distinct species, I cannot but agree with Mr 

 Yarrell and Mr Jenyns, in supposing it as nothing more 

 than the young of some of the migratory trout. With a 

 view of ascertaining this fact, I remained several weeks on 

 the banks of the Solway Firth, where I had an opportunity 

 of inspecting several hundred specimens as soon as they 

 were taken from the nets. After carefully dissecting two 

 hundred specimens, and finding them to differ exceedingly 

 from one another in their anatomical structure, in the num- 

 ber of scales, in the colour of the flesh, and in the form and 

 arrangement of the lateral spots, I came to the conclusion 

 that they were not a distinct species, but the young of dif- 

 ferent species or varieties of trout, which, if allowed to re- 

 main uncaught, would ultimately increase to six, seven, or 

 even eight pounds in weight. 



