150 FEESH-WATEE AQrAEIA. 



ThoTigli a Trout will live fairly well in the stagnant water 

 of a well-formed, well-ai-ranged, and well-cared-for aquarium, 

 it will of course live better in a tank wHch has the advan- 

 tage of a continually-flowing fountain. Care must be taken, 

 however, that the water which comes from the fountain is 

 of a suitable character: otherwise it would be wiser to have 

 no fountain at all. 



The natural food of the Trout is larvae of insects, aquatic 

 insects, flies, fresh-water shrimps, young snails, worms, min- 

 nows, ova and fry of fish. It has been often seen to eat 

 its own ova, soon after it has deposited them. In confinement 

 it may be fed upon minnows, worms, many kinds of aquatic 

 insects, flies, and especially fresh-water shrimps. These last 

 form one of the very best foods, making the flesh of the 

 fish of the much- desired pink colour ; they may be bred for 

 it according to directions which will be given in another 

 chapter. The quantity of minnows which a tame Trout 

 (about 7in. long) of mine ate was surprising. 



Trout Sin. to Sin. iu length are of a suitable size for the 

 aquarium. Fish of such dimensions may be either taken 

 with a net or caught with fly or worm. 



Trout fed upon suitable food will grow from lib. to 101b. in 

 weight within four or five years. As the Trout is so subject, 

 owing to locality and food, to considerable variety of both 

 form and colour, it is somewhat difiScult to describe. How- 

 ever, as a rule, it may be said that its body is rather long 

 and compressed at the sides, its head thick, its muzzle 

 wide and blunt, and its eyes large. The upper part of its 

 body is of an olive-green colour, the sides are lighter in 

 shade. The under-part is often of a yellowish-white. Its back 

 and sides are nearly always (more or less) beautifully spotted 

 with red. There are two dorsal fins, which are far apart; 

 the first has soft rays, and the second, which is much 

 smaller, is without rays, and adipose. The front dorsal 

 and caudal fins are spotted with black. The other fins are 

 yellowish and edged with black. 



Charr (Salmo alpinus) are nearly always found in the 

 deepest part of large lakes, excepting during the breeding 



