320 THE ANGLER-NATURALIST. 



eHd of this article (p. 333) should be resorted to^ and a 

 careful description drawn up according to the directions 

 at p. 49 to p. 51j with a view to determining whether the 

 fish is entitled to rank as a distinct species, or is only a 

 variety of the common Trout. That such species exist, 

 though as yet undiscovered, I firmly believe, and such is 

 also the opinion of those best qualified to form a judg- 

 ment ; but the want of any knowledge whatever of the 

 natural history of fish on the part of the great majority 

 of sportsmen has hitherto been a principal cause of our 

 lack of reliable information on the subject. 



The annexed woodcut, taken from a male Thames Trout 



of 11 lbs. weight, and measuring 28 inches, exhibits a re- 

 markable instance of the variations to which Trout are 

 subject. In this fish it will be at once observed that the 

 end of the tail-fin has grown convex through great age, 

 the natural shape being concave, or, when old, square. The 

 length of the head also is somewhat too large for perfect 

 symmetry, as it is longer than the width of the body at its 

 widest part, and closely approaches the proportions of the 



