140 VORACITY. 



naturalists, it is the only one of the Gadus family that 

 lives in fresh water. There are few fish that have bodies so 

 flexible, or whose movements are so serpentine or eel-like. 



Though the burbot is found in lakes and rivers with 

 clayey bottoms, it seems to prefer those that are stony. It is 

 a somewhat solitary fish, and excepting during the spawning 

 season, does not congregate in shoals. It is never seen near 

 the surface, and except at the setting in of the winter, 

 when it approaches the strand, always keeps to and swims 

 near the bottom, (hence its Lappish name Njaka, or the 

 creeper), where it hides itself amongst stones, sunken trees, &c., 

 in readiness to pounce on its prey. Though apparently slow 

 in its motions, it can, at will, swim with considerable quick- 

 ness, as is evidenced by its capability of seizing other fish. 

 Its habits appear to be roaming. M. Gobel speaks of an indi- 

 vidual in the Wenern having travelled some fourteen English 

 miles in the course of a single night, a fact attested by its 

 retaining, when taken, the hook it had previously carried off. 



The burbot is a great glutton, devouring almost everything 

 that comes in his way, whether living or in a state of decom- 

 position. But for the most part he seems to subsist on small 

 fish, insects, &c. He is said to visit the spawning-grounds of 

 other fish, to feed on their roe ; occasionally, however, he 

 makes a meal of larger fish. 



" A burbot of twenty-three inches in length that I opened 

 in the month of December," writes M. Ekstrom, " was 

 found to have gorged a pike twelve inches long. The head 

 of the latter, which lay bent at the bottom of the greatly 

 distended stomach of its devourer was, with the exception of 

 the teeth, nearly dissolved, whilst the tail, which was much 

 torn, stuck out from between its jaws. It seems almost 



