^ ME. r. DAT ON THE LOCH-LEYEN TEOUT. 73 



Locli-Leven trout. Tlie third is called at Kinross the Camdai/, 

 is 8 in. to 10 in. long, and reckoned a distinct species ; but is 

 only the grej trout at an early age." He likewise referred to 

 three more species as the Burn trout, the Highland or Muir 

 trout, and another form of bull trout, which he does not appear 

 to have seen, found in the deep parts of the lake, attaining to 

 7 lb. or 8 lb. in weight, and with yellow flesh. 



Graham, ' Greneral Eeview of the Agriculture of Kinross and 

 Clackmannan,' published about the commencement of the present 

 century, after giving an account of the fish found in Loch 

 Lev en, remarked, "Elounders are also found in Loch Leven," 

 which demonstrated that at this period sea-fishes were able to 

 obtain access up the river Leven into the lake. 



In the year 1874, Mr. E. Burns Begg, the ex-president of the 

 Kinross Fishing Club, compiled an interesting account of the 

 Loch-Leven trout, and of the locality which it inhabite:d. The 

 Loch-Leven lake, prior to 1830, covered a superficial area of 4312 

 acres ; it is situated 360 feet above the sea-level, and receives the 

 waters of the Garny and of the north and south Queich ; while the 

 mean flow from it throughout the year amounts to 4000 cubic 

 feet a minute, which goes into the river Leven, and this river, 

 after a course of 14 miles, falls into the Firth of Forth. In 

 December, 1830, the loch was diminished to three fourths of its 

 original dimensions, or to 3543 acres, by an extensive drainage 

 operation, which permanently reduced its natural level to the 

 extent of four and a half feet, and means were likewise devised 

 by which, when desired, another four and a half feet can be 

 drawn off". Fleming made a careful inspection of the loch 

 during the years 1834 and 1835, in order to ascertain what 

 effect the drainage had had upon its fisheries, and he concluded 

 that they were permanently diminished one-third in their value, 

 the sluices acting in juriously to young fish by reason of the strong 

 current at the outflow • and that the margin of the lake had under- 

 gone a change unfavourable to its piscine inhabitants, owing to 

 the peculiar barrenness of the shore rendering the new margin 

 ill suited for supplying them with food. In the lake itself, how- 

 ever, tlie water-snails were found not to have been destroyed. 



Many have supposed that the superior flavour of Loch-Leven 

 trout is a consequence of the quality and abundance of the food 

 which they could obtain there. 



In the * New Statistical Account of Scotland,' mention is made 



