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In Continental Europe the Burbot is found in Norway, 
Sweden, and rivers flowing into the Baltic and Black seas; 
Siberia, through central Europe from Hungary to Switzerland, 
Germany, and as far south as France. Gzxsner’s Ichthyology 
(A.D. 1598) is said to contain ‘‘the complete description and 
life history of all and every fish which may be seen and caught 
not only in the great high sea, but also in lakes, rivers, brooks, 
and all ship-bearing waters. Together with their uses and 
value, both for food and for medicine of the apothecaries. Very 
serviceable and useful to all physicians, maid-servants, cooks, 
and also to scientific painters.” The figure of this fish adorns 
the title-page, while it is observed in the text that they used to 
be found in Bohemia and Prague, and were kept for the king 
in a large pool, on account of their beautiful appearance. 
An interesting fable exists respecting the introduction of 
this fish into the Lake of Geneva. Jurine asserted that, 
according 1o popular tradition, the Burbot was brought there 
from Neuchatel, while Buancuat, in his Natural History of the 
environs of this latter place, attributes their introduction to 
the monks of St. Prex, in the fourteenth century. In support 
of this opinion, Lunex, author of the Fishes of Lake Leman or 
Geneva, cites a map of the Lake engraved at Geneva, in 1588, 
by Jean pu Vinuarp, who has given in the margin figures of 
the fish, with their local names. All are recognizable, but the 
Burbot and eel are not represented, and due to the impassable 
barrier of the “‘Perte du Rhone,” at Bellegarde, migrations of 
the latter to or from the sea are impossible. The absence of 
the Burbot was held to coincide with the local tradition, but, 
as observed by Professor Forur at the “‘Vaudois Natural History 
Soviety,” the following facts refute such a belief. Ronpexer, 
a learned Naturalist of Montpellier, in France, published in 
1555, at Lyons, as a continuation of his History of Marine 
Fishes, descriptions of the Fresh-water Fishes of Europe. He 
observed of the Burbot or Lotte, “‘the fish which the Lyonese 
call the Lotte, is named by the Genevese Motelle or Mustele.” 
Now Motaile is at this day the popular name of this fish, and, 
having a local name, if must have been common or well known. 
