272 SALMONIA. 



thick ; the scales are smaller than those of a 

 trout ; it has no teeth on the palate, and the 

 pectoral fin has four spines more, which, I 

 think, enables it to turn with more rapidity. 

 You will find at dinner, that, fried or roasted, 

 he is a good fish. His flesh is white, but not 

 devoid of curd ; and though rather softer 

 than that of a trout, I have never observed 

 in it that muddiness, or peculiar flavour, 

 which sometimes occurs in trout, even when 

 in perfect season. 



I shall say a few words more on the habits 

 of this fish. The hucho, as you have seen, 

 preys with great violence, and pursues his 

 object as a foxhound or a greyhound does. I 

 have seen them in repose : they lie like pikes, 

 perfectly still, and I have watched one for 

 many minutes, that never moved at all. In 

 this respect their habits resemble those of 

 most carnivorous and predatory animals. It 

 is probably in consequence of these habits? 

 that they are so much infested by lice, or 

 leeches, which I have seen so numerous in 

 spring as almost to fill their gills and inter- 

 fere with their respiration, in which case they 

 seek the most rapid and turbulent streams to 



