THE SALMON FAMILY. 339 



THE LOCHLEVEN TKOUT. 



(Salmo Levenensis*.) 



The LocUeven Trout derives its name from the barren 

 lake, and now dismantled castle celebrated as the prison of 

 the unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots, and perhaps equally 

 well known from having been the scene in which our great 

 novelist has laid the plot of one of his most delightful 

 romances. 



The points in which the Lochleven Trout is distinct 

 from the Common Trout and Great Lake Trout have 

 already been referred to at p. 314, and need not be here 

 repeated. It is only necessary to remark that, in the opinion 

 of modern ichthyologists, they are such as clearly en- 

 title the fish to be considered a distinct species, and not 

 merely a variety of the Salmo fario. Several such varieties 

 exist in the same waters ; but their flesh is white or pinkish, 

 and in flavour they are quite inferior to the real Trout of 

 Lochleven. Of late years, however, these fish have con- 

 siderably fallen ofi' in colour and condition, owing, it is 

 said, to the partial draining of the loch having destroyed 



* Salmo, a Salmon or Trout ; Levenensis, of Leven, Lat. 



q2 



