134 QUESTIONABLE IDENTITY. 



The marked features of this fish are as follows. The 

 length of the head as compared with the whole length of 

 the fish, from the nose to the end of the fleshy portion 

 of the tail, is one to six ; the length of the head considerably 

 less than the depth of the side of the body ; the intermaxillary 

 bones short, the posterior edge not reaching in a vertical 

 line to the anterior edge of the orbit of the eye; the eye 

 small ; the snout less deep than that of the supposed Salmo 

 Mareena in specimens of equal length. 



The Helge-sik which for brevity's sake I shall in future 

 call it like the lof-sik, was very common with us. With 

 both species this is, I believe, the case throughout all the 

 more midland and northern parts of Scandinavia. But 

 from the contradictory accounts given of the sik tribe, 

 it is difficult to define their geographical limits. Both the 

 helge- and the lof-sik, as respects the peninsula, would 

 seem to be pretty much confined to fresh water. This is 

 to be inferred at least from Ekstrom neither including 

 them amongst the fishes of the eastern Skargard, nor 

 amongst those inhabiting the waters of the western 

 coast. Kroyer, indeed, tells .us that his C. Lavaretus 

 (identical no doubt with the lof-, or the helge-sik), 

 cannot exist in salt water. But Faith, on the contrary, 

 will have it that this fish is found in abundance in Randers- 

 fjord. When great authorities differ, it is difficult to deter- 

 mine who is in the right ; but to my notion the scale turns 

 in favour of Faith, who, as a practical man, ought surely to 

 know of what he is speaking. 



With us the helge-sik spawned a fortnight or so later than 

 the lof-sik, that is, about the middle of November; and 

 again (supposing the fishermen in error as to the existence 



