34 THE COMMON RUFFE. 



classes in Sweden. But the peasants in some parts of the 

 country value it highly, and call it " kungamat," or food for 

 a king. 



A great prejudice is entertained by the fishermen against 

 the ruffe, in consequence of its being supposed not only 

 to drive away other fish, but to devour their roe. The 

 first charge is most likely altogether groundless, originating 

 probably in the circumstance that when, owing to storms or 

 bad weather, other fish retire from the strand to the deeps, 

 the solitary ruffe remains, and becomes the only prize of the 

 fisherman ; but the second charge, though not fully proved, 

 may possibly be true. 



The ruffe spawns in April or May. The lek is carried 

 on in moderately deep water, where the bottom consists of 

 sand or clay, and is overgrown with rushes. Amongst these 

 the female deposits her eggs, which are minute, yellowish in 

 colour, and very numerous. Bloch counted no less than 

 seventy-five thousand in one fish. 



The ruffe is generally considered slow of growth. It 

 never attains to any considerable size. One Swedish natu- 

 ralist tells us, it has been met with as large as an ordinary 

 perch; but this I take to be a mistake, for six to eight 

 inches is their more usual length, which is seldom or never 

 exceeded. 



Owing to its tenacity of life, the ruffe is highly valued by 

 the fishermen as bait ; such, at least, was the case in my 

 neighbourhood. From want of better, indeed, I have occa- 

 sionally had recourse to it when " spinning " for trout or 

 salmon, and have found it killing, especially after having 

 rendered it more inviting by cutting off the spiny fins. 



The Miller's Thumb, River Bullhead, &c. (Simpa, Sw. ; 



