278 BRITISH FRESH-WATER FISHES 
lump,” and “ various kinds of small fish.” The significance of 
the English name is, therefore, far from clear, but it may be 
assumed with tolerable certainty to be unconnected with the 
idea of odour, and the scientific name of the fish is only an 
erudite pun. 
A remarkable fish, in more ways than one, is the smelt. 
In habits it is essentially estuarine, at least in Great Britain, 
frequenting only those rivers which enter the sea through long 
tidal channels winding amid alluvial flats). Towards the 
middle of March or beginning of April smelts ascend to the 
limit of high-water mark, and deposit their ova in immense 
quantities upon the gravel and stones just about where the 
water ceases to be brackish. After that they descend to the 
sea, but are believed not to go very far beyond the influence 
of fresh water, reappearing in the estuaries in August or 
September, and remaining there in shoals throughout the 
winter. Smelts are abundant in suitable places on the coasts 
both of Northern Europe and North America. Dr. Giinther 
notes that in some districts, not in this country, this fish 
severs itself permanently from the sea, ascending rivers into 
lakes, and adopting an exclusively fresh-water habit. In doing 
so, it suffers in size, owing to less abundant crustacean food ; 
fresh-water smelts being a much smaller race than their 
estuarine kin. The habit must be an ancient one, for smelts 
are found in lakes which have no communication with the sea. 
In appearance the smelt is of delicate beauty ; although the 
large mouth, strong teeth, and projecting lower jaw give the 
head rather a rapacious expression ; which is, indeed, no mis- 
leading guide to character, for this fairy-like fish is actively 
predaceous, consuming enormous numbers of shrimps, eel-fry, 
and small creatures in general. The body is covered with 
scales of moderate size, sixty to sixty-two in a line from gill- 
cover to caudal fin. The lateral line disappears after the first 
eight or ten scales. The colour on the back varies from sea- 
green to palest brown ; the sides are faintly tinged with yellow 
