LOTA VULGARIS. 85 



and in lakes is often found at a depth of thirty or forty fathoms ; but under 

 such circumstances its colour is paler than when living" in shallow water. 

 It commonly lives under stones and in holes^ waitin<^ for its prey, and hence 

 has come, from a rabbit-like habit, to be sometimes named the Coney-fish. 

 Its instincts, however, are those of robber and pirate. It waylays the female 

 and the young- brood, especially of the Perch, and is a terror to all small fishes. 



The Burbot spawns at different times in different localities. Some deposit 

 their eggs in November and December, others not till March. At spawning- 

 time they become gregarious, and in the rivers of Germany a hundred may 

 be found together interlaced in a compact mass like Eels. The eggs are 

 hatched in about six weeks. The young grow slowly, and at four years of 

 age reproduce for the first time. They are in best condition for the table 

 at spawning-time, when they are taken with a ground-net or line. In 

 many places the liver is considered a great delicacy, while the oil which it 

 yields was formerly esteemed in medicine, under the name Liquor hepatictis 

 mnsfelce fluviatilis. The air-bladder is made into an inferior kind of isinglass, 

 but the hard roe, in Austria, at least, has the reputation of being poisonous, 

 and is used in Germany as a purgative. 



Von Siebold mentions that Dr. Steinbuch in 1803 speared two examples 

 of this fish which were united into one mass, head to head and belly to 

 belly, by a constricting band round their bodies, which had the same colour 

 and slimy character as the skin. 



The Burbot is essentially a fresh-water Ling, from which it differs in 

 having- a few more rays in the second dorsal fin, and fewer in the first 

 dorsal, and a few more rays in the anal fin. 



It is widely distributed in Europe, and is referred to by Yarrell as 

 occurring in Siberia and India. In Britain it is found along the eastern 

 side of England. It is met with in Sweden, France, Switzerland, Germany, 

 Austria, the north of Italy, and Russia. 



The North American specimens reach a length of three feet. They have 

 been desci-ibed under various specific names, but are associated by Dr. 

 Giinther with the European type. 



