THE GRAYLINGS 



Family XVL Thymallida 



THE graylings agree very closely with the Salmonidce in external 

 characters and in habits. They differ notably in the structure of the 

 skull and the presence of epipleural spines on the anterior ribs. 



The parietal bones meet at the middle and separate the frontals 

 from the supraoccipital bone. The conventional statement that the 

 graylings are intermediate between the whitefishes and the trout 

 is not born out by the skeleton. 



The family contains one genus and about 5 species, all beautiful 

 fishes of the rivers of cold or Arctic regions, active and gamy and 

 delicious as food. 



The French call the grayling " un umble chevalier " and say he feeds 

 on gold. "And some think he feeds on water-thyme, for he smells of 

 it when first taken out of the water; and they may think so with as 

 good reason as we do that the smelts smell like violets at their first 

 being caught; which I think is a truth." (Izaak Walton.) And St. 

 Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, calls the grayling "the flower of 

 fishes." 



GENUS THYMALLUS CUVIER 



Body oblong, somewhat compressed, not much elevated; head 

 rather short; mouth moderate, terminal, the short maxillary extend- 

 ing past middle of the large eye, but not to its posterior margin; 

 teeth slender and sparse on the maxillaries, premaxillaries and lower 

 jaw; vomer short with a small patch of teeth; teeth on the palatines; 

 tongue toothless or nearly so; scales small and loose; dorsal fin very 

 long and high ; caudal well forked ; air-bladder very large ; pyloric 

 appendages 15 to 18. 



Three species, all very closely related, have been recognized in 

 American waters. 



230 



