GEN. COREGONUS. THE VEND ACE. 153 



of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. * " The Ven- 

 dace is well known," says the former of these 

 authors, " to almost every person in the neighbour- 

 hood ; and if, among the lower classes, fish should 

 at any time form the subject of conversation, the 

 Vendace is immediately mentioned, and the loch 

 regarded with pride, as possessing something of 

 great curiosity to visitors, and which is thought 

 not elsewhere to exist. * * * In general habits 

 the Yendace nearly resemble the Gwyniad, and 

 indeed most of the allied species of the genus. They 

 swim in large shoals ; and during warm and clear 

 weather retire to the depth of the lakes, apparently 

 sensible of the increased temperature. They are 

 only taken with nets, a proper bait not being yet 

 discovered; and the fact that little excrement is 

 found in their intestines has given rise to another 

 tradition, that they are able to subsist without food. 

 They are most successfully taken during a dull day 

 and sharp breeze, approaching near to the edges of 

 the loch, and swimming in a direction contrary 

 to the wind. They spawn about the commence- 

 ment of November, and at this time congregate in 

 large shoals, frequently rising to the surface of the 

 water, in the manner of the common herring, and 

 making a similar noise by their rise and faU to and 

 from the surface. The sound may be distinctly 

 heard, and the direction of the shoal perceived, 

 during a calm and clear evening. They are very 

 productive. The lochs abound with Pike, of which 

 * Vol. xii. p. 503. 



