220 THE GRAYLING. 



THE GRAYLING. 



(Salmo thymallus). 



THE AUTUMN GRAYLING 



There is in woods a solemn sound 

 Of hollow warnings whispered round. 



Shuddering Autumn stops to list, 



And breathes his fear in sudden sighs, 



With clouded face, and hazel eyes 



That quench themselves and hide in mist. 



Yes, Summer's gone like pageant bright, 



Its glorious days of golden light 



Are gone the mimic suns that quiver, 



Then melt in Time's dark flowing river. 



HOOD. 



ONE of the nicest traits we know about 

 grayling is that they require purer 

 water than trout. Where drainage and 

 dye works are reduced to a minimum, as in 

 the hill streams of Derbyshire or Yorkshire, or 

 the old world alluvial pasturages of Hants, one 

 finds the grayling in full vigour. 



In the Hampshire waters especially they lie 

 in open pools, where they can be detected like 

 pale mauve green shadows against the mauvfe, 

 grey chalk deposit. Often they consort 

 together in some dozens, so that were they 

 elephants they could be grouped into herds 

 rather than shoals. 



When water has run low owing to a mill 

 stream diversion or the opening of flooding 



