SEA TEOUT— PEAL AND WHITE-FISH. 



165 



Pig. 38. Head of female Peal, 12J inolies long. 



Under the designation of Peal, two distinct species of salmonoid fishes along 

 our south coast are recognized, for occasionally the grilse stage of the salmon is so 

 designated, but more frequently the same stage,* or even larger examples of 

 the sea trout. Sir W. Jardine considered small ones as identical with the 

 hirling of Scotland and the phinoc of the Eden and the Bsk, and in this identifi- 

 cation he was doubtless correct. In the British Channel, they are occasionally 

 taken near the surface during April and May in the drift mackeral nets, as the 

 season advances they come nearer inshore, and the smaller ones ascend our southern 

 rivers during the first June jftoods, where they abound during the two succeeding 

 months. While from February until June the white troutf rarely exceeding six 

 inches in length, is often found in company with the river trout. A peal or sea 

 trout, on its arrival in the Teign or Dart, has been observed to soon have its 

 colours assimilated to those of the pool or stream in which it takes up its abode, 

 while its form is exactly similar to that of the Welsh sewin. 



Fig. 39. Head, natural size, of female White-fish, 

 12'4 inches long from the Teign. 



The White-fish of Devonshire streams as the Dart and Teign are generally 

 looked on as a stage of the Trufi", some considering the latter the more adult form 



* It has usually been held to occupy dimensions in size and weight intermediate between 

 smolt and grilse, or the size of the latter, while in rivers where salmon are numerous peal are 

 mostly scarce, but should the stock of salmon become reduced, peal generally soon increase in 

 numbers. J. D. B., Field, January 24th, 1885, observed, that " a young 3 lb. salmon would be 

 a longer fish than a 4 lb. peal, the scale of the salmon three times larger, and the tail very much 

 forked, while the tail of the peal would be almost straight across." 



t "The Erme abounds in white-fish, peal, and truff, all making their appearance about the 

 time stated by ' Old Log,' and the relative size of these fish being the same as he states, but on 



