GEN. THYMALLUS. THE GRAYLING. 147 



relative position of the fins. The pectoral fin reaches 

 to the plane of the commencement of the dorsal ; 

 the ventral fin is in a vertical line with the last ray 

 of the dorsal, and the adipose fin is placed so far 

 back, that its posterior edge nearly reaches the origin 

 of the tail; the latter deeply forked; scales large 

 and deciduous, the lateral line prominent and nearly 

 straight ; general colour dull umber, the gill-cover, 

 silvery, and two rows of silvery scales below the 

 lateral line, forming bands like those observed in 

 the Atherine. 



Gen. LXVII. Thymallus. In this genus we 

 perceive a considerable departure from the charac- 

 ters of the types of this family, namely the Salmones, 

 especially in the small mouth, the opening to which, 

 when viewed in front, is square ; and in the size of 

 the dorsal fin. which is more than half the height of 

 the body (Cuvier says it is equal to the body in 

 height), and twice as long as high. The teeth are 

 very fine and velvet-like ; the branchio&tegous rays 

 seven or eight ; the scales rather large. Several fine 

 species are found in North America, but the only 

 one observed in Europe is 



(Sp. 133.) T. mdgaris. The Grayling. This fish 

 vanes in length from seven or eight to fifteen or 

 eighteen inches, and in weight from half a pound to 

 four or five pounds. The back rises rather suddenly 

 a little behind the head, and the deepest part of the 

 body is at the commencement of the dorsal fin, from 

 which point it tapers off to the tail, which is by no 

 means possessed of the strength of the same part in 



