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 CHAPTER XI. 



OTHER VARIETIES. 



GRAYLING. Before passing to the consideration of 

 other kinds of fish, we desire to speak of species allied to 

 the salmon and trout, although different in many of their 

 habits. 



Much excitement was created in the year 1873 among 

 ichthyologists, by the discovery in some of the streams 

 of the state of Michigan, of a variety of fish not previously 

 supposed to exist in the United States, called the grayling. 

 The grayling is a much esteemed European fish, common 

 on the continent and in certain streams of England. It 

 is a good sporting fish and excellent for the table, and as 

 it spawns in a different season of the year from trout, it 

 furnishes food and sport at a time when trout cannot be 

 killed or eaten. The existence of such a variety might 

 be of great benefit to the older states if its acclimation 

 was possible and it should prove as well adapted to eastern 

 waters as to those of the state of Michigan. 



Mr. Seth Green proceeded to Michigan in the spring 

 of 1874. So little was known of the habits of the fish that 

 he arrived after the spawning season was nearly closed. 

 On the 30th of April he reached the Au Sable river where 

 they are supposed to be most abundant, although they 

 are known to exist in all the streams of that region. The 

 weather was still very cold and much difficulty was ex- 

 perienced in effecting the purpose of the expedition. The 

 water of the river was found to be forty degrees Fahren- 

 heit, but the air at that time ranged from sixteen to 

 twenty degrees. Finding that the spawning season was 

 over, Mr. Green dug up some impregnated eggs which 



