CO2 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Description. 



THE GRAYLING 



IS a fish of very elegant form ; the body is less 

 deep than that of the trout; the head small, with 

 protuberant eyes, the irides of which are silvery, 

 speckled with yellow ; the mouth is of a middle 

 size, and the upper jaw the largest. The teeth 

 arc very minute, seated in the jaws and roof of 

 the mouth, and feel like a line file; the head is 

 dusky, the covers of the gills of a glossy green, 

 vet when in prime perfection, the.se parts are 

 blackish, (differing in this respect from all other 

 fish, being least beautiful when most in season); 

 the back is of a dusky green, inclining to blue ; 

 the sides of a fine silvery grey (from which it 

 eierives its name); yet when first taken they sec in 

 to glitter with spangles of gold, and are marked 

 with black spots irregularly placed. The side 

 line is nearly straight; the scales are large, and 

 the lower edges dusky, forming straight rows 

 from the head to the tail, which is much forked ; 

 the large dorsal fin is spotted, the other fins are 

 plain ; it is rather hog-backed, find, from the 

 nose and belly touching the ground together, it 

 is supposed that this fish feeds mostly at the 

 bottom. 



The grayling haunts rapid and clear streams, 

 particularly' such as flow from mountainous coun- 

 tries : it is found in those of Derbyshire, Shrop- 

 shire, Yorkshire, Sec. In Lapland, ('where, it is 

 very common,) the inhabitants use it* entrails,. 



