Fishes. 4671 



No. 2. — Trout taken with two others in a trawl-net off Collambray 

 Ferry, Kyles of Bute, on the Bute shore, January 17, 1838. 



Snout to centre of tail 



„ to dorsal fin . 



„ to pelvis fin . 



„ to anal fin ... 



„ to extreme margin of gill-cover 

 Length of head (dorsal line) 

 Greatest depth .... 

 Weight 



13£ inches. 

 6 



2f n 



2 „ 

 21 „ 



13 oz. 4 drs. 



"Sex, female. — Ovary small, whole mass about lj inch in length. 

 The fish may have spawned, in all probability, last September or 

 October early : muscle, when cut into, a bright and clear vermilion 

 colour, like salmon. 



H This trout in colour and marking was very like the preceding 

 one; the form, however, of the body generally greatly differed. 

 I have preserved the skin and taken a cast, which will show the 

 difference in form, the comparative smallness of the head, and 

 greater depth of body. The skin shows the spots on the integuments 

 greatly larger than in No. 1, and fewer in number. This fish, as an 

 article of food, was decidedly superior to the preceding, and I think, 

 generally speaking, that the female trout is superior in this respect 

 to the male, both being at the time in good condition. I am of 

 opinion that Nos. 1 and 2 were male and female of the same species 

 of trout, and in all probability of the same age. I have taken a 

 plaster cast of the stomach, viscera, &c. ; the contents of the stomach 

 consisted entirely of a clear pale orange-red, shrimp-looking insect, 

 something like those got in the stomach of the other trout, and pre- 

 served ; but in this, the female trout's stomach, they seemed to be 

 of finer quality. From the pancreatic coeca 1 drew out three tape- 

 worms, similar to those found in the male trout : these worms were 

 each about 6 inches in length." 



To sum up the specific characters of the estuary trout, I would say, 

 that, in general colouring, it resembles the common river trout, 

 with bright metallic tints; scales minute, adherent ; head and jaws 

 proportionally smaller than in the common river trout ; muscles pink- 

 coloured, sometimes bright red ; numerous red spots above and 

 below the lateral line ; lives in brackish waters, but is sometimes 

 found at sea ; food, small shrimps. 



