IDENTICAL WITH THE S. TRUTTA. 117 



resembles, though somewhat altered by long permanent 

 residence in fresh water, to which it is confined ? 



Until, therefore, Ichthyologists determine to what species 

 this fish really does belong, I think it best to retain the 

 name by which it was known in the Gotha and the Wenern. 



The Silfver-Lax was not uncommon with us at certain 

 seasons of the year, in the Gotha at least. Owing to this 

 species not being very well identified, it is impossible 

 to define its geographical limits. From Lsestadius speaking 

 of a blank , or shining-lax, however, I am inclined to believe 

 it to be an inhabitant of Lapland, and if so, it is probably 

 pretty generally distributed throughout Scandinavia 



The Silfver-Lax is a splendid fish in appearance, and 

 excellent for the table ; and though of a lighter colour, it 

 is held in nearly equal estimation with the salmon. 



It is to be presumed that this fish spawned about the 

 same period as others of the genus Salmo ; but though an 

 old servant of mine asserted that he had on two or three 

 occasions in the spring of the year almost the only season, 

 indeed, of our capturing it found incipient roe of the size of 

 a pin's head in the female, I myself never saw this fish 

 either preparatory to, or during the spawning season. What 

 became of it at that time was always a mystery to us ; but 

 the presumption is, it either held its lek in the deeps, or 

 (which is less probable) that it crossed the Wenern, and 

 ascended some of its tributaries. 



It was always in the highest possible condition, even 

 in the early part of the spring, at which time the adult 

 Wenerns-Lax having only partially recovered from the effects 

 of spawning, are often not only somewhat meagre, but infested 

 with parasitical animalcules. 



