130 BRITISH FRESHWATER FISHES 



principally an inhabitant of the Baltic and the North 

 Sea, ranging southwards on our coasts as far as 

 Hampshire and in France to the Seine ; on the 

 western coasts of Britain it is found southward to 

 North Wales, and it probably occurs also on the 

 northern coasts of Ireland. It attains a length of 

 I 3 inches and a weight of | lb. ; a specimen nearly 

 this size is figured (PI. XVII, Fig. 2). 



This is a greedy fish of prey, feeding on small 

 fishes, shrimps, worms, etc. ; in the early spring the 

 Smelts assemble in shoals and ascend the rivers to 

 spawn, in some localities not going farther than 

 tidal waters for this purpose, but in others pushing 

 up well beyond. The spawning takes place usually 

 from March to May, when the fish crowd together in 

 dense array and the eggs are shed ; the latter attach 

 themselves wherever they happen to fall ; thus in 

 the Forth, where the Smelts spawn in March, about 

 two miles below Stirling Bridge, every stone, plank, 

 and post has been described as covered with their 

 yellow eggs. After spawning the Smelts usually 

 return to the sea, but their habits are very variable, 

 as in some rivers they stay for months, in others not 

 more than two or three weeks. 



The eggs hatch out in from one to three weeks, 

 according to the temperature ; the fry attain a length 

 of from 2 to 3 inches before the autumn, when they 

 descend to the sea, returning to the estuaries in the 

 spring ; in their second season they attain a length 

 of from 4 to 6 inches, and may spawn for the first 

 time in the following spring. 



In many Swedish lakes the Smelt is a freshwater 

 resident throughout the year, and in Britain this seems 

 to be the case in Rostherne Mere in Cheshire, whilst 



