2IO 



The Grayling 



With its large dorsal fin standing out prominently from the 

 centre of its back the grayling can be easily recognised from all 



other fish. The mouth 

 is very small and speci- 

 ally suited for sucking up 

 worms, caddis larvse, and 

 the larvje of Ephemerse, 

 upon which the grayling 

 feeds. When in the pink 

 £■ of condition, which is 

 ^ usually about the middle 

 'i of October, it is a very 

 i beautiful fish. Below the 

 i lateral line the sides and 

 -^ belly are quite silvery, 

 % while above this it be- 

 ; comes a golden olive, 

 J merging into a dark slate 

 s colour on the back. The 

 "". head is also of a dark 

 ^ slate colour, while an 

 - occasional one is to be 

 7; met with having a few 

 d dark spots near the gill- 

 cover. Specimens I have 

 ~ had from the Itchen in 

 Hampshire were more 

 spotted and very much 

 coarser than our Isla gray- 

 ling. As the spawning 

 season arrives much ot 

 the silvery appearance is 

 lost, and they become of a darker colour all over. Grayling, like salmon, 

 are very subject to disease, which carries them off in large numbers. 



