THE RAINBOW AND BLACK SPOTTED TEOUTS. 475 



and so far as appearances go it is a permanent inhabitant of river naouths. It probably spawns 

 late in the fall or in the winter, as ujany of those taken at the first run of the Salmon are spent 

 fish, with the flesh white and worthless. 



The history of this species is still obscure. According to Pallas, it migrates singly, from 

 June to September; some remaining all the year in the rivers, returning to the sea in May. It 

 feeds in the fresh waters on any living thing. Uence, unlike the other Trout, which during the 

 ascent of the rivers grow lean with fasting, breeding, and exertion, this species is plump and well 

 fed, and, with *S'. alvelinus malma only, does not perish in the winter. Elsewhere than in the 

 Columbia tins species is highly valued as a food-flsli. When taken in the Columbia in spring little 

 or no use is made of it. Its flesh is pale, and its bones too firm for it to be used in canning, and 

 at that season the old individuals taken are usually spent and worthless. In the Sacramento it is 

 not very common. 



The itAiNBOw Trout — Salmo irideus. 



This species is generally known as the "Brook Trout," "Mountain Trout," "Speckled Trout," 

 "Golden Trout," and other evanescent names are also sometimes applied to it. It does not reach 

 a weight of more than five or six pounds, so far as we know, and most of them as taken are finger- 

 lings ranging from four inches to a foot in length. It is found throughout California in all streams 

 of the mountains. It is said to occur in the northern part of Lower California. The southernmost 

 seen by us were from San Luis Rey River. We have seen but few specimens of this species from 

 salt water. These weighed from three to five ])ounds each. It may probably run into the sea 

 from streams in which the lower waters are clear. Specimens referred to this species from the 

 north of Mount Shasta are perhaps the young of & Gairdneri. It feeds on worms, larvae, and the 

 like. For a Trout, it is a fish of little "gaminess" or activity. It is not often brought into the 

 markets of San Francisco, and at present has little economic importance, although of course a 

 good table-flsh. It has been rather extensively introduced into the waters of the Eastern United 

 States. 



The Black spotted Trout— Salmo purpuratus. 



This fish is known as the "Trout," " Mountain Trout," " Spotted Trout," " Black Trout," 

 " Silver Trout," etc., in the mountains, but when in the ocean, full grown, as " Salmon Trout" or 

 "Steel-head." The Indian name "Preestl" is also ascribed to it on the Upper Columbia. It 

 reaches a weight of thirty pounds uniler the most favorable circumstances, but may be found in 

 any stream or lake of any length irom two inches up to two or three feet. Unlike 8. Gairdneri, the 

 young are very common, and it probably begins breeding in mountain streams at a length of less 

 than a foot. It is universally distributed through the Rocky Mountain region, chiefly east of the 

 Sierra southward, but reaching the sea irom Mount Shasta northward. It occurs in every lake of 

 New Mexico, Utah, Western Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Llaho, Oregon, and Washington. 

 Every stream throughout the most of this region abounds in them, and in Puget Sound the young 

 of every size occur in the salt water in abundance. Individuals are occasionally taken along the 

 California coast. Local variations occur in abundance. Specimens fiom Seattle have the scales 

 notably larger than those irom Victoria and Astoria, which agree with Utah Lake specimens in 

 this respect. Those that live in the deptiis of shady lakes are almost black, while others are pale. 

 Those in tlie sea are silvery and only faintly spotted. Only in Lake Tahoe do the variations 

 assume any marked importance (var. Hensliawi). Individuals intennediate between this species 

 and 8. Gairdneri ai e not rare, and there is no doubt that the latter is simply an offshoot from this 

 general stock, as are 8. irideus and 8. stomias. It feeds on any living thing it finds near it. In the 



