2 Coward, TJie Smelt in Rostherne Mere. 



out of the ice and submitted them to the late Dr. Giinther, 

 but for some years prior to that date, and from then until 

 the present year, I have only heard of it having been seen 

 once. On April 4th I found two dead in the water at one 

 side of the Mere ; one of these is now in the Manchester 

 Museum and the other in the Museum of the Liverpool 

 University. 



Day's statement that the fish were introduced by 

 " Mr. Egerton " suggests that they were not in Rostherne 

 so early as is shown by Brookes's record, and I do not 

 place much faith in the remark. I believe that the fish 

 have existed in the Mere since it was possible for them to 

 ascend from the sea, or, in other words, prior to the 

 building of the weirs. What originally caused them to 

 run to Rostherne for spawning, and why they are not 

 found in other Cheshire waters, is difficult to understand. 

 We can only suppose that there are favourable conditions 

 for their existence in Rostherne, as there are in the 

 Swedish Lakes, which have enabled them to survive. 



One peculiar characteristic of the fish has not been 

 lost by its freshwater life. I carried the two dead smelts 

 home in my handkerchief, which, afterwards, still smelt 

 strongly of cucumber. 



