206 SALMONID^ OF BRITAIN. 



Stoddart, Angler's Companion, observed that a trout " wLen taken from a 

 river or streamlet (where, if suffered to remain season after season, it would 

 assume no tinge of redness whatsoever) and transferred to a lake or pond containing 

 marl or other rich food, speedily acquires the high complexion in question " 

 (p. 173). 



They are out of condition subsequent to the breeding season, and in England 

 Devonshire is considered about the earliest county in which they come into con- 

 dition, and are fished for from the commencement of February, which is generally 

 about a month too soon, but elsewhere, as in the Cardiganshire Teifi, there are 

 rivers equally forward. 



Irrespective of residing entirely in fresh waters, some would seem to prefer 

 estuaries, or being within tidal influence, at least during certain portions of the 

 year, for it is not unusual to observe brown trout being captured in salt water, 

 while even in fresh water they have been taken on their return and with sea-lice 

 stiU present on them. 



The food which trout consume is of various descriptions. One about IJ lb. 

 weight, taken in June, 1882, in the Tweed, was found to contain 11 small trout 

 and one minnow. They do not object to little fish, as the minnow, loach, stickle- 

 backs, &c., water rats, young birds, frogs, snails, slugs, worms, leeches, maggots, 

 flies, beetles, moths, water spiders, and even a lizard (Field, Oct. 1885). They 

 will swallow one of their own kind two-thirds as large as themselves. In 

 Mr. Bnckland's museum was an example, the stomach of which was distended by 

 2470 eggs of apparently the salmon. 



Fish-culturists find that artificially fed trout often will not readily exchange 

 their accustomed food, and likewise that fish do not fatten so well on artificial as 

 on natural food, while thinner ones have the par bands less marked.* Should 

 the amount of natural food be insufficient, it ought to be cultivated, for it has 

 been asserted that in some localities there has been a gradual extermination of the 

 larger forms of water-fed flies, but in wilder streams less iaterfered with by 

 farmers and millers, there has been no such change. 



Many instances are on record of trout seizing their own species when they 

 have taken a bait. Thus in Land and Water it was observed by " Sprint," that 

 " Mr. W. Atkinson, of Kendal, was angling in the Lune, above Kirkby Lonsdale, 

 when with a fly he hooked a small trout of about 1\ oz. Before he could 

 draw it quickly to land it was seized by another and a much larger fish. For 

 some time the angler played the fish without seeing what it was, but in a minute 

 or two got sight of what he had hold of, and found that a large trout had seized 

 the smaller one, which had, in the first instance, taken the fly. In due course the 

 big fish, keeping his hold, was, at the first opportunity, quietly secured in the 

 landing net, and immediately he felt the touch of the net gave up hold of his 

 would-be prey, but too late to escape. This unusual capture was duly basketed, 

 weighed 21 oz. and was in moderately good condition. The small trout on 

 the hook was, as might be expected, sadly mauled by the teeth of his big brother, 

 and was quite dead when taken ofE the hook. Mr. Atkinson says that at least 

 three miautes elapsed from the time the large troub seized the smaller one 

 and their being landed in the net. On being opened, the large trout was found 

 to contain another trout, about 1| oz. weight, in a partly digested condition." 



coloured Highland loch trout in which the skins — not the flesh — became black a few hours after 

 capture. ... I have seen all the trout on one side of a loch, not over 300 yards wide, very black, 

 in correspondence with the hue of the rooky sides and bottom, and aU those on the other side of a 

 lively greenish hue, like that of the bottom there, which is covered with short grass for a few 

 yards from the bank." 



* Stoddart, Art of Angling, mentioned an experiment made in the south of England in order 

 to ascertain the value of different forms of food. " Fish were placed in three separate tanks, 

 one of which was supplied daily with worms, another with live minnows, and the third with those 

 small dark-coloured water flies, which are to be found moving about on the surface, under banks 

 and sheltered places. The trout fed with worms grew slowly, and had a lean appearance : those 

 nourished on minnows, which, it was observed, they dashed at with a great voracity , became much 

 larger ; while such as were fattened upon flies only, attained in a short time prodigious dimen- 

 sions, weighing twice as much as both the others together, although the quantity of food 

 swallowed by them was in nowise so great," 



