THE GRAYLING. 125 



This fish is comparatively deeper and stouter 

 than the northern charr, with considerably 

 larger fins, a large eye, and much wider gape. 

 The flesh of this species is excellent, but is 

 little known beyond the territory adjacent to 

 the waters, which the fish has long tenanted. 

 It is abundant in the lake Cos-y-gedawl, in 

 Merionethshire. 



In many of the clear rock or gravel-bedded 

 streams of our island, a beautiful fish, called 

 the grayling, or umber, (Thymallusvulgaris,)is 

 very abundant ; it is found in the Trent and 

 Dove, and in the Wye, at Bakewell ; the 

 streams of Hampshire and Wiltshire produce it ; 

 several rivers in Wales, Yorkshire, Lancashire, 

 and Cumberland, are also noted for it. This 

 elegant fish is no less beautiful than excellent for 

 the table, and it comes into season in October 

 and November, when trout is out of condition, 

 its breeding time being April or May. 



The grayling feeds on insects, small mol- 

 lusks, etc., and rises like the trout, at the 

 angler's bait, but less dashingly. It has 

 always appeared to us a less vigorous and 

 active fish than the trout, and by no means 

 so capable of stemming the force of a rapid 

 current, nor have we ever observed it leap 

 out of the water, as we have so often seen 



