NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SALMON. 87 



all having different names in different localities, besides 

 which, the same name is often appUed to different species ; 

 and the young and the adult of one species are some- 

 times classed as two species, sometimes vice versa. The 

 facts, in short, are in darkness and confusion, and their 

 confusion is twice confounded by an unsettled nomen- 

 clature. This part of the subject cannot be regarded as 

 quite unimportant ; for instance, the take of the Salmo 

 eriox on the Tweed is in some years greater than that 

 of salmon and grilse together. There is, however, this 

 consolation, that the want of knowledge regarding the 

 various kinds of " sea-trout" is to be regretted chiefly 

 as a deficiency in natural history — in matters of legis- 

 lation, preservation, and increase, whatever is good for 

 the salmon proper will be found, generally speaking, 

 about equally good for his poor relations and social 

 inferiors. 



