THE SALMON FAMILY. 75 
nately to both groups, and, still worse, to numerous 
other fishes (Cestreus, Micropterus, Hexagrammus) 
wholly unlike the Sa/monide in all respects. It is 
sometimes said that the “ American brook-trout is 
no trout, nothing but a charr,” almost as though 
“charr” were aword of reproach. Nothing higher, 
however, can be said of a salmonoid than that it is 
a “charr.” The technical character of the genus 
Salvelinus lies in the form of its vomer. This is 
deeper than in Salmo, and when the flesh is re- 
moved the bone is found to be somewhat boat- 
shaped above, and with the shaft depressed and out 
of the line of the chevron. Only the chevron is 
armed with teeth, and the shaft is covered by skin. 
In one species (S. xamaycush) the chevron sends a 
projection backward which bears teeth; these teeth 
appearing, unless the flesh is removed, as if stand- 
ing on the shaft of the bone. 
In color all the charrs differ from the salmon 
and trout. The body in all is covered with round 
spots which are paler than the ground color, and 
crimson or gray. The lower fins are usually edged 
with bright colors. The sexual differences are not 
great. The scales, in general, are smaller than in 
other Sa/monide, and they are imbedded in the skin 
to such a degree as to escape the notice of casual 
.observers and even of most anglers. 
“ One trout scale in the scales I’d lay 
(If trout had scales), and ’t will outweigh 
The wrong side of the balances.” 
LowELL. 
The charrs inhabit, in general, only the clearest 
and coldest of mountain streams and lakes. They 
