GRAYLING-DESCRIPTION AND NAMES. 279 



the end of the snout, and about the same distance apart ; pupil pear-shaped or 

 transversely oval. Its form is rather elongated and very graceful ; dorsal profile 

 more curved than the abdominal. Upper jaw very slightly the longer ; the pos- 

 terior extremity of the maxilla reaches to beneath the anterior edge or first third 

 of the orbit. Teeth — fine ones in the jaws, near the head of the vomer, and on the 

 anterior portion of the palatines ; none on the tongue. Fins — these vary with the 

 sex, the last dorsal rays are somewhat produced in adults. The first dorsal fin 

 commences midway between the end of the snout and on a line above the front 

 edge of the anal fin, the height of its rays being about two-thirds of that of the 

 body below it. Pectoral inserted in the lower fourth of the height, and as long as 

 the head excluding the snout. Ventrals situated beneath the middle of the rayed 

 dorsal fin, and comparatively small, terminating on a line below the hind edge of 

 the adipose dorsal. Caudal forked. Scales — in regular rows, some small ones 

 being present over the basal portion of the caudal fin. The chest, or that portion 

 of it as far as the pectoral fin, may be entirely destitute of scales or else scaled. 

 In the example figured there were thirty rather short caecal appendages. 

 Walls of the stomach thickened. Intestines — ^with about 17 transverse valves, 

 rather more complete than in examples of Sahno. Colours — these during life are 

 beautifully changeable ; head of a bluish purple and a golden tinge along the back, 

 while the horizontal lines along the body are dark, and each of the scales has a 

 golden tinge. Dorsal fins with purplish bands and ocelli which have a purplish red 

 centre, and there are likewise some purplish streaks along the course of the rays, 

 while the outer edge is likewise purplish. Black spots scattered over the body, 

 occasionally there are some on the fins. In some specimens spots are absent, 

 which, though rare in this country, appear to be more common in Erance, as 

 Valenciennes had many such examples. The brighter colours decrease with age, 

 and gray lines show themselves along each row of scales ; while the young have 

 transverse bars or bands. 



Names. — Thymallus was given to this fish by ^lian and also by Ausonius, from 

 the fancied resemblance of its odour to that of the water-thyme,* upon which it 

 was supposed to feed, an odour which many of the present day fail to detect ;t and 

 others consider that they can observe a likeness in its smell when first captured to 

 that of the cucumber. Some who imagine they are able to recognize this odour 

 have suggested that the varying nature of its food may cause the grayling to 

 occasionally possess a strong smell which at other times is almost or quite absent. 

 Salviani in the sixteenth century observed, that being a swift swimmer it disappears 

 like a shadow, from whence it derived its name umhra. " Grayling " is said to be 

 a corruption of Gray lin or line referring to the longitudinal lines along its gray 

 body. Oumer, Northumberland. Shutts, Sheets, 8hdtt, or Shot, young in the Teme 

 as in their second year. While St. Ambrose of Milan is recorded to have termed 



* Dr. Hamilton observed that it was named from wild thyme, Thymus serpyllum, because the 

 water-thyme is not British and has no smell. Ausonius, however, named it after a plant from 

 •the Tioino and Adige. Donovan remarked that at the beginning of last century or earlier, it was 

 indeed imagined by fanciful writers to subsist, at particular seasons, on what they denominated 

 water-thyme ; they seem persuaded the powerful aromatic smell of the fish was contracted from 

 this species of food, an idea apparently borrowed from iElian. 



f In Walton's Angler we find it remarked that "some think that he feeds on water-thyme, 

 and smells of it at his first taking out of water ; and they may think so with as good reason as 

 we do, that our smelts smell like violets at their being first caught ; which I think is a truth." 

 Pennant "never could perceive any particular smeU." Donovan likewise "never ourselves 

 observed any such smell." Sir H. Davy considered that it had " an agreeable odour." Valen- 

 ciennes " never remarked this thyme-like odour in individuals which he had seen alive " (Vol. xxi, 

 p. 430). Dr. Hamilton asserted, " I can distinctly aver that most grayling, when in season, have 

 decidedly a thymy smell, very different to that of the smell which has the odour of cucumber. 

 I think the larger fish, and when not in season, are devoid of it ; but in a | lb. grayling it is 

 nearly always present" {Fishing Gazette, Feb. 13th, 1886.) Mr. Senior remarked {Waterside 

 Sketclies), " A fish taken from the Teme I once thought had a decided smell of cucumber, 

 another from the Itchen was redolent of thyme ; the first which the Wharfe yielded me smelt 

 of something which the keeper said was cucumber, while I equally maintained it was thyme." 

 The Gyrinus natator, Linn., has so strong an odour, that, when several of these insects are collected 

 together, they may be scented at a distance of 5, or 6, or more paces (Eoesel). It is to the 

 eating of these insects that Mr. Lloyd (Soandiv. Ad. i, p. 128), is inclined to attribute the 

 remarkable odonr emitted by the grayling. 



