ZOOLOGY. 
343 
sides more or less silvery; belly white, or yellowish white; back, top of head, and upper fins 
spotted with large spots of a cream color. Spots on the sides bright red , as in the S. fontinalis. 
As early as the first of June this beautiful fish is found running up the Nisqually, Dwamish, 
and other rivers emptying into Puget Sound. They are taken sparingly from those waters 
until October, when they enter the mouths of the rivers in vast numbers, and are taken by 
hook and line, nets, traps, &c., until near Christmas. The largest individual of this species 
that I saw was about two feet in length, and was taken in the Dwamish river, in June, 1856. The 
individuals caught late in the autumn average about 14 or 15 inches in length, and seem generally 
more slender than the summer fish, although they are in equal flavor and condition for the table. 
In my opinion they exceed both the salmon and brook trout in delicious table qualities, as they 
also certainly exceed both in beauty. The flesh, when cooked, is of a delicate salmon hue, that 
of the autumn fish being a little paler. They are in general more slender in proportion to their 
length than either the true trout or salmon. I obtained a very handsome specimen of the 
pussutch which was caught in Green river, Washington Territory, 35 miles from salt water, 
about the middle of June, 1856. Upon it were two rows of rose-colored spots heloivthe lateral 
line. They were generally about two and a half lines in diameter. Above the line there were, 
to the dorsal median, several nearly parallel rows of the same sized spots of a yellowish white 
color. The jaws of this fish were well provided with strong, sharp teeth. The little Indian 
boys catch great numbers of this species with hook and line. They use salmon roe principally 
for bait. I think that early in the season an artificial fly would answer well, and very much 
regret that the hopelessly fractured condition of my only fly-rod prevented my testing the 
question. I have heard it said that ‘ 1 salmon trout, ’ ’ answering to the description of this fish, 
are found in the waters of California. Upon conversing with Dr. W. 0. Ayres, well known as 
an ichthyologist, and for some years a resident of San Francisco, he informed me that he had 
not seen the species in that State. Perhaps the fish is only caught in the fresh water streams 
some distance from San Francisco; or perhaps the species is really not found in California at all. 
The accounts of non-scientific describers are very unreliable, and on the Pacific coast, especially, 
there is great confusion among fishermen as to vulgar synonyms, brook trout, salmon trout, and 
salmon, being terms indiscriminately used. Besides these sources of confusion, there are in the 
northwest waters, perhaps, two well marked species of red-spotted salmon trout, which are entirely 
different from the species under consideration. One of these was observed by Mr. George 
Gibbs, esq., (geologist to the western division of the north Pacific railroad survey and explora¬ 
tion,) in the Yakima valley. It was about two feet in length, and may have been merely a 
large individual of the present species. 
In Lake Pend d’ Oreille, a sheet of water formed in the second chain of the Rocky mountains 
by a dilatation of the Clark river, of much the same size, shape, and general character, as 
Lake Geneva, in Switzerland, (from the lower end of which the Rhone escapes in a similar 
manner,) I have seen a very handsome species of red-spotted lake trout. The spots along the 
flanks are of the size of large peas, and are of a beautiful rose color. The length of the adult 
fish will average 20 inches. Its form is slender, and the dorsal profile but slightly arched. 
SALMO AURORA, Grd. 
Plate LXVIII. 
“ Sr. Ch.—B ody fusiform, compressed; head forming the fourth of the total length, caudal fin excluded. Upper jaw 
longest. Maxillary gently undulating ; its posterior extremity extending to a vertical line passing considerably behind the 
