APPENDIX. 373 



inhabits others where its presence is yet undetected, as the Charr 

 rarely takes a fly in most of the lochs, though there are exceptions, as 

 we have caught occasional ones in Lochs Merkland, Griam, and Shin, 

 and Lochs Borrolan, Urigill, Camaloch, Veyattie, Fewn, Assynt, and 

 Brora, with fly, and more rarely with artificial minnow. 



Smelt— Osmcrus eperlanus (Flem. ) 

 Mr. Peach informs us he has caught the Smelt when fishing for sillocks. 



Family CLUPEIDiE. 



Herring — Clupaa harengus, Linn. 



Occurs along the east coast the whole year, but most abundant in the 

 summer and early autumn ; fish full of roe are taken in the early 

 spring, but do not appear to have the fine flavour of the autumn 

 Herring. Abundant on the west coast, but mostly fished from Storno- 

 way. Ascends the sea -lochs of Glens Dhu and Coul, especially the 

 latter, as well as other sea-lochs. 



Sprat — Clwpea sprattus, Linn. 



An irregular visitant to the east coast, though very abundant every year 

 lower down the. coast at the Beauly Firth. In the beginning of 1SS4 

 vast numbers were caught off Golspie and Brora, cpiantities being 

 thrown ashore dead. Not known by us to occur on the west coast. 



Allis Shad — Clupea alosa, Linn. 

 Taken at Inversion, 1S70. 



Family MURjENIDjE. 



Eel — Anguilla vulgaris, Flem. 



Abundant in all the rivers and lochs of the east coast. About the 

 middle of April the young eels, or elvers, as they are there called, 

 begin to ascend the Brora in millions, the sides of the river the whole 

 way up being black with them ; they even ascend the Blackwater Falls 

 at Balnacoil, by taking advantage of any damp inequalities of the 

 rock ; every trout caught at that time is gorged with them. They do 

 not appear in the rivers of the west so early in the season as they do 

 in the east, but by June all the lochs connecting with the Inver are 

 full of them. 



Conger— Conger vulgaris, Cuv. 



Common ; much more sought after of late years, as they command a 

 ready sale and fair price. Delicious eating if properly cooked. We 

 were present at a table d'hote where fourteen people all took a second 

 helping, and pronounced them "delicious." 



Order V. LOPHOBRANCHII. 



Family SYNGNATHIDiE. 



Greater Pipe Fisli — Syngnathus acus, Linn. 



Recorded by Day, Brit. Fishes, vol. ii. p. 260, as having twice been taken 

 from the stomach of a cod in the Moray Firth (Gordon). 



