Morning journal and courier., 1889-04-26
THE TROUTS OF AMERICAN WA
 TIERS.

Valuable Learning for Gentle Souls. From the American Angler.1
 Although the trouts, popularly so called fin America, all belong to the salmon family
 and are grouped together ichthyologically
 under the head of Salmonidoe, they are not
 all salmons. The classification name of
 charr (Salvelinus) has been given to most of
 them. Our speckled trout of the East is a
 charr, so is the lake trout, the blue back
 trout of the Rangeleys, the other so called varieties of red spotted trout found in New
 England waters, and the saibling of Germs- ny, recently introduced. In the West the same classification applies to the Dolly Var den trout, and also to the several imperfect ly known species of Arctic America and of Greenland. Of the true salmon trout (Sal- mol we have no representatives in the East except those lately introduced, the rainbow, Lock Leven and the German or brown trout, the latter particularly bidding fair to become acclimatized and exceptionally popular game fish. Ia the West they have several species of the true salmon trouts, viz: The rains bow, the steelhead, Rio Grande and black
 spotted or cut throat trout, with it's several imperfectly described forms known ichthyo- logically and locally as the Lake Tahoe, Waha Lake and Kansas River trouts. Thus it will be seen that the angling tourist, in
 his trout outings, has grand opportunities to indulge in his favorite pastime, and although his intelligence usually keeps fairly abreast with his enthusiasm, he may be sadly adrift in determining at sight the generic character of the trout which he has just basketed af- ter much pleasure and excitement. We will endeavor to make the matter plain to him. In the salmon trouts teeth will be found on the body of the vomer as we'll as on it's head; in the charrs teeth are found only on the head of the vomer. Hence, if an angler ! is in doubt as to the proper generic status of his trout, he has only to put his finger in it's mouth, and if a single or double series of teeth are found on the front part of the roof of the mouth, he holds in his hand salmon trout; if only single patch of teeth occur ! in the rear and on the roof he has a charr under inspection.
 The brook trou. fontinalis) may be identi fled by it's mottled body, and, if caught i'll Pennsylvania and southward, by the absence of teeth on the roof of the tongue. In those of northern New York, New England ! and of Canada these teeth are sometimes present, but they are thinly distributed and l feebly developed.
 ! As this paper is only intended for briet ! description Of the charrs and Salmon trouts | of American waters, and to suggest the sim | plest methods of identifying species, we now | pass on to the namaycush or lake trout, an ! other char. whose range or habitat if l extended, being found in the Great Lakes | system and in smaller lakes in our north I ern States and in British America, and as ' | identified by the raised crest on the rooi l of the mouth, which extends backward and l terminates free from and parallel with tht 1 vomer. (The vomer in fishes is the from ! part of the roof of the mouth, bont | lying immediately behind the bones forming | the front of the upper jaws.l Several va | rieties of lake trout have been described but none of them, except the siscowet O Lake Superior, have been digniied with I ! varieta1 classification by naturalists, among ] whom Professor Jordan believes it to be local variety rather than distinct species The Oauassa or blue back trout is on | of the most interesting of the easterl ! chars. It's habitat is confined to Moose I Iuckmaguntic Lake, in Maine, and, as i has not been found elsewhere, there is bu little likelihood that the angler will mistak it for another species. However, it is wei to note that it seldom, if ever, exceeds tel inches in length, and that bluish tin covers the entire back from head to tail, tn
 latter being well forked. | Another char, the Greenland trout, whIcl
 Professor Bean believes to be the sea trout O
 Canada and of Labrador, is found in Arctl
 l America Of this charr Professor Gooo'
 ! naively and generously writes: lt IS lnter
 l esting to know that the anglers have prooas.
 bly, been in the right and the ichtnsoIogise'
 l wrong in regard to this interesting species
 l ooncsrning which, as yet, we know put ne
 tIe.n In explanation it may be stated Ina'
 MT. Charles Hallock and other Anglers nave
 relieved MIi the sea trout of Canada to be dis
 tnos species from the brook trout onelas
 isl, an assertion disputed by lontnyoioglsts
 work. "American Fishes" Should any oi
 our angling readers take an outing in the ex
 l treme north, to Greenland or Boothis Felix
 he will know this trout by its well .forket
 tail, high dorsal fin (higher than broad), ant
 ! by its peetoral fins reaching more than hal