GRAYLING— MIGRATIONS AND BREEDING. 281 



tliat being to a great extent a ground feeder, it helps itself to the eggs from the 

 trout's redds while the trout is breeding. It is not of a roving disposition 

 and generally limits its range to within a few miles : it is generally reputed that 

 it cannot spring out of the water like the trout, consequently it is unable to 

 surmount barriers, a conclusion denied by Dr. Hamilton who says it can do so 

 when hooked, but its large back fin, aided by its well-developed air-bladder, would 

 seem to show that its formation is that best adapted for rapidly rising or sinking 

 in the water. In early spring months it returns to deeper water and seems almost 

 to cease to feed, possibly due to the nearness of its breeding season. It has been 

 found to live in newly-made ponds, constructed in hard soil, where, however, it is 

 said not to breed, but more investigation is required on this question, as the same 

 was formerly believed of the trout: old and muddy ponds are not suited for 

 its existence, for there it rapidly succumbs. It eats insects and their larvse, 

 small molluscous shell-fish as Physa and Neritina, also Crustacea, and is fond of 

 the larvcB of the caddis fly, in swallowing which it likewise takes in the 

 pieces of stick, stones, &c., which are attached to them. But it seems to 

 prefer water-shrim23s, beetles, spiders, and such food as it can obtain at the bottom, 

 to the fly. 



Migrations. — I have already stated that occasionally these fish congregate in 

 shoals and generally drop down stream, in fact, it used to be considered that they 

 never headed up. Mr. Francis Fi-ancis {Field, May 28th, 1881) observed, upon 

 one being taken in the Anton, continiiing, that " only a few years ago there were 

 none much above the sheep's bridge at Houghton. This year there are many in the 

 Machine Barn shallow, two miles up ; but that they should have headed up some- 

 thing like a distance of ten miles, and out of the Test into another stream, is 

 astonishing." Mr.Wabram (Fishing Gazette, March 13th, 1886) remarked on having 

 found them working both up and down stream in Yorkshire. Mr. Brothcrston, of 

 Kelso, observed that this fish was introduced there by the late Marquis of Lothian, 

 and it appears to be jjarticularly suitable to its habits, as it is increasing rapidly, 

 and also spreading down into the Tweed. 



Breeding. — Generally spawns on the shallows in April or May,* or even earlier, 

 while at a little distance the eggs somewhat resemble frog-spawn. Fish under 

 half-a-pound weight do not appear as a rule to spawn, rendering it probable that 

 they do not commence to do so until their third season, or possibly the fourth. 

 On February 26th, 1881, Mr. Bowie Evans sent me two examples from Hereford- 

 shire, and I found the ova almost ready for extrusion (the preceding winter had 

 been a very mild one). The ova are smaller than those of the trout, and 

 transparent, while the interior may be white, opalescent, cornelian colour, or even 

 deep orange ; the eggs ai'e deposited on the gravel near the tails of shallows, and 

 in shallow nests or redds, like the salmon, trout, or char, but not to so great 



the broad water below lliey are ah'eady present in sufficient numbers for the angler to come across 

 several in one day. For instance, on August ICth, on this water, I had a brace ot nice trout, 

 weighing 3J lb., and three grayling, all of which went back again. But the way in which the 

 grayling have prospered and increased may be better judged by the record of the last summer's 

 netting, which shows that they took and returned to the Avater — 



Over 2 lb. From U lb. to 2 lb. From 1 lb. to 1» lb. From J lb. to 1 lb. 



6 brace . 15 brace . . 50 brace . . 70 brace, 



and quantities of little ones. One fish of 3.J lb. has already been found, and gi-ayliug have been 

 met with at Newbury, which must be eight or ten miles from Hungerford. Now, even if there be 

 truth in all the evil things which are said of grayling, it is quite certain that they cannot injure 

 the trout, in season or out of season, to anything like the extent that the 11,000 coarse fish would 

 have done if they had been left unmolested. Moreover, the stock of trout is increasing enormously 

 on the Kennet, and the water in some places swarms with store fish (I put back four brace one 

 day, only keeping two fish above the 12 in. limit). Prudent conservators of any fishery will 

 always bear in mind that it is quite possible to have too many trout in a river. However, in the 

 Kenuet there is ample room for a very large and good stock of both trout and grayling, and, in 

 another year or two, anglers who have access to this splendid river will find that their sport is just 

 about doubled." 



* The Kev. L. Bagot {Field, September 22nd, 1883) recorded the capture of a half-pound fish 

 in the Corve on September 5th, full of spawn : and Mr. Webb, of Trowbridge, when fishing near 

 Salisbury, on September 15th, among his captures of 7J brace of grayling took two of IJ lb. each 

 which were full of spawn, the smaller ones were (juitc clean. 



