66 THE SEA-TROUT 



which was caught at Alnmouth on 6th September, 191 5, and show 

 (Fig. 23) an enlargement of one of its scales. Attributing to this fish 

 two years of fresh-water residence, it is quite plain that it spent two 

 further consecutive years in the sea without spawning, and was, 

 when caught, presumably making for the river to spawn in its fifth 

 year. Now if the fish shown in Fig. 20 discloses a life-history corres- 

 ponding to that of a salmon grilse, the life-history of this second fish 

 bears exact resemblance to that of a small summer salmon. Yet it is 

 indubitably a sea-trout, and, as sea-trout go, a large one ; but — and this 

 is the point — an unexpectedly young one. The question therefore 

 arises whether these two fish do not, after all, represent a distinct 

 species, or race, of sea-trout, which in rate of growth and possibly wide 

 range (evidence of which may be found in the late seasonal ascent of 

 the fish) approximates more closely to the salmon than to the trout. 

 I concede at once that no conclusions of value can be drawn from 

 the examination of the scales of only two specimens. But I give my 

 observations upon them simply to show in what directions a careful and 

 extended examination of the scales of East Coast fish may be fruitful of 

 interesting and definite results in a matter as to which, frankly speaking, 

 nothing at all is known. 



It is of considerable interest that in Norway also the " bull trout " 

 is recognised as a distinctive type of sea-trout. My friend, Mr. G. H. 

 Ramsbottom, of Alderley Edge, informs me that when fishing the 

 Gloppen River, Nordfjord, in 1913, he caught with fly a fine specimen 

 of the type which weighed 8^ lb. Local people actually used the term 

 " bull trout " to describe the fi.sh, but the term was doubtless borrowed 

 from some British angler. Be that as it may, the important point is 

 that apparently the two types of fi.sh are easily distinguishable. It was 

 further said that the " bull trout " of the Gloppen River occupied a 

 certain tributary stream at spawning time to the total exclusion of the 

 other and commoner type of sea-trout. I am able to give a reproduc- 



