

GREAT SIZE. 115 



Lax, or grey trout, grey being the predominant colour of 

 ours. 



Many of these fish remained in the Gotha all the year 

 round, but by far the greater portion, when the spring was 

 pretty well advanced, left us for the Wenern, where they 

 passed the summer ; and it was not until the fall of the 

 year that they again revisited our rapids, for the purpose 

 of spawning. 



The Wenerns-Lax is held in estimation as food ; but the 

 flesh, even when in high condition, is much less firm than 

 that of the S. Salar, and it also differs materially in colour, 

 being rather of an orange-yellow, than red. 



The spawning season with this fish was the end of 

 October or November ; but long prior to this period 

 generally in the month of August they fell down 

 from the lake into the upper part of the river. The 

 first batch consisted for the most part of males; and 

 it was not until some little time afterwards that any 

 considerable number of the females joined company. 

 When the lek was over, the fish either headed back 

 into the Wenern, or retired to the deep pools in the 

 Gotha, where they remained during the winter, to recruit 

 their strength. 



The young of the Wenerns-Lax, as indeed those of every 

 species of the genus Salmo, went with us by the general 

 name of Oring. 



This fish attains to a great size, especially the males, 

 which on the average are nearly a third larger than the 

 females. I have not unfrequently captured males of thirty 

 pounds weight and upwards, whereas the females seldom 

 exceeded twenty pounds. I cannot remember our taking 



i 2 



