THE MICHIGAN PENINSULA. 



^^N many of the rivers of Michigan lying north of Bay 

 ^M City, but in none south of it, is found the Grayhng 

 f^ {Thymdllus tricolor), a superb game-fish, not hith- 

 erto recognized as a native of this countiy. It has 

 now, however, been fully identified by experts, by com- 

 parison of specimens obtained in winter, with the famous 

 Grayling of England. Every minute spot, lateral line, scale, 

 and fin-ray that exists in the foreign variety is reproduced 

 in those caught here. It varies in size from eight to four- 

 teen inches, and much resembles the Scisco. Its back is of 

 a dark-grey color, and its sides are covered with fine whitish 

 silvery scales running in well-defined lateral lines, and dot- 

 ted with shining diminutive black spots a half-inch or so 

 apart, especially about the shoulders. It has a very large 

 square first dorsal fin with eighteen rays, which divide into 

 two branches one-third their length from the top. Its sec- 

 ond dorsal is adipose, its caudal fin as much forked as that 

 of a grilse, and with twenty-one rays. It has no teeth upon 

 either jaws or tongue ; but a minutely serrated edge upon 

 the jaws might be taken for teeth. Its mouth, when open, 

 is nearly square. It has a peculiar odor, not unpleasant for 

 a " fish-like smell," hence thymallns. A grayling two years 

 old has the black spots, but not the well-defined distinctive 

 lateral fines of the adult fish. At three years old it weighs 



