The Grayling. 17 



well, he frequently breaks his hold when hooked. He 

 has no teeth, but his lips are rough like a file. He is a 

 hog-backed fish, with a small head, large back fin, the top 

 of which is reddish, but the lower part, of a bluish purple 

 (as are the fins of the belly), spotted with black ; he has 

 protuberant eyes, and a body finely tapering to a forked 

 tail. He is scaled somewhat like a dace, and the lateral 

 line, common to all fish, is nearer the back than the 

 belly. He has a peculiar smell when taken out of the 

 water, said to be occasioned by his feeding upon water- 

 thyme, whence the Latin name, Thymallus, is supposed to 

 have been given to him. Many epicures prefer the flavour 

 of the Grayling to that of the trout. 



The Grayling, as I said before, is by no means a com- 

 mon fish in England, and is not to be met with in Scot- 

 land or Ireland. 



The rivers in Derbyshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire and 

 Yorkshire, and the Dee, which runs through a portion of 

 North Wales, furnish them in sufficient numbers for the 

 Angler's amusement. 



I would strongly recommend all Angling Associations 

 to introduce this fish into their waters where he is not 

 already established; and thus secure sport for their 

 members during mild weather in the winter months, as 

 well as add to the variety of fishes for their summer 



SCIENTIFIC DESCRIPTION. 



ORDER IV. Abdominales. Ventral fins on the abdomen, 

 behind the pectoral. 



GENUS SALMO. Salmo Thymallus. Grayling or Umber. 



" Abdominal Malacopterygii. Salmonidce. 



" Thymallus Vulgaris. CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 306. 

 WILLUGHBY, p. 187. No. viiL 



