236 
COMMON TROUT. 
and members; the head lengthened, rather attenuated towards 
the nose, the fins all lengthened, very sharp-pointed and powerful, 
the dorsal rising high in front; first ray of the anal fin double 
the length of the last; tail deeply forked, the outer points turning 
inward and sharp; form of the scales under the microscope 
longer in proportion, and considerably narrower than in any of 
the others. The colours not so brilliant as in the first, but 
beautiful, shading from a deep olive brown to greyish yellow, 
the spots large and distinct, round, in a pale field. 
The third variety is from a small alpine loch upon the 
Benmire range, at a very considerable elevation. It is situated 
in a tract of moss, but the bottom is rocky or gravelly, the 
water rather transparent but of a dull tint, the rock of the 
surrounding country limestone. Compared Avith either of the 
former the distinctions of shape were very evident; head very 
round, nose blunt; the length to the extremity of the gill-covers 
proportionally great, body very thick, deep and round; fins thick 
and muscular, the lower ones rounded at the extremity; tail 
square. The ground colour deep purplish olive, shading from 
greyish to golden yellow, the whole, including the fins, glossed 
over with a rich shade of pale purple; the upper parts and 
gill-covers thickly spotted with well-defined round sepia-coloured 
spots, some placed in a pale space; beloAv the lateral line 
thinner and more scattered; the flesh red and firm. 
A fourth variety is generally of small size, and very plentiful 
in the district of Assynt, in Sutherland, where every narrow 
valley has a large number of lochs of various extent; and in 
a large extent of country the fish resemble each other: rather 
thickly formed, fins of moderate length, tail much forked; the 
upper parts of a rich olive brown colour, a bright yellow beneath ; 
the upper two thirds of the body, gill-covers, and dorsal tin 
thickly covered Avith large round black spots in a pale circle; 
on the ridge of the back these spots are often united. 
The fifth variety is from a series of lochs between Richkonich 
and Laxford, and in the river Laxford, Avhich issues from Loch 
Strach. The body comparatively short, but remarkably deep, the 
fins very short, rounded and muscular, and of a Tench-like shape, 
different from any of the others; the head remarkable for its 
great length. Colours not brilliant; the spots large, but widely 
asunder; the flesh white and soft. From the remark that the 
