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The Grayling 



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With its large dorsal fin standing out prominently from the 

 centre of its back the grayling can be easily recognised from all 



other fish. The mouth 

 is very small and speci- 

 ally suited for sucking up 

 worms, caddis larvae, and 

 the larvae of Ephemerae, 

 upon which the grayling 

 feeds. When in the pink 

 of condition, which is 

 usually about the middle 

 of October, it is a very 

 beautiful fish. Below the 

 lateral line the sides and 

 belly are quite silvery, 

 while above this it be- 

 comes a golden olive, 

 merging into a dark slate 

 colour on the back. The 

 head is also of a dark 

 slate colour, while an 

 occasional one is to be 

 met with having a few 

 dark spots near the gill- 

 cover. Specimens I have 

 had from the Itchen in 

 Hampshire were more 

 spotted and very much 

 coarser than our Isla gray- 

 ling. As the spawning 

 season arrives much of 

 the silvery appearance is 



lost, and they become of a darker colour all over. Grayling, like salmon, 

 are very subject to disease, which carries them off in large numbers. 



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