758 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
part of the day it lies still, almost motionless, at the 
bottom, where it seeks its food. Now and then, how- 
ever, it rises to the surface, quick of movement and 
voracious for its size. With greedy eagerness it catches 
the insects that fall into the water. It dies almost in- 
stantaneously when taken out of its native element.” 
In fresh water it is less sensitive to the influence of 
the air and is sometimes seized with the same wan- 
dering spirit as the Salmon, leaping over obstacles with 
vigour relatively the same and no less eagerness. It 
sometimes forces its way along the tiniest, half-dry 
brooks and pools, if only it feels running water — and 
may subsequently be found in puddles, where it is 
scarcely possible to explain its presence. In fresh water 
it is also more sociable in its relations to other fishes: 
in the Nissa River (Halland) I have often caught Min- 
nows in company with Salmon-fry. 
Its food is chiefly composed of insects, small crus- 
taceans and mollusks, and worms. In the island-belt 
it often keeps watch at the landing-places, where fish 
is gutted and rinsed, and seizes small fragments of 
the offal. Fish-roe and small fry, even of its own 
species, also form a part of its diet. It does not dis- 
dain a bait of wheat dough, though it bites less rea- 
dily at this; and in an aquarium it may be fed on 
bread-crumbs. Its voracity entices it forward at the 
least cause and gives it an inquisitiveness of which 
the fisherman may take advantage. Fatio tells us 
that he caught quantities of Minnows in a landing- 
net, by holding it still in a stream. As soon as the 
leader and the van of the shoal had entered to see 
what they might discover in the net, the others fol- 
lowed without hesitation. 
The spawning-season seems to vary according to 
the early or late arrival of the summer warmth. In 
the tracts bordering on the Rhine the Minnow is taken 
in large numbers, together with a multitude of other 
small fishes (Salmon-fry among others), all known by 
the common name of Rumpdien , during the months of 
May and June, at which time the Minnow ascends the 
brooks to spawn on a, stony or gravelly bottom. Ek- 
strom states that in the island-belt of Sodermanland 
it spawns at the end of June or beginning of July. 
According to Fatio the spawning may begin in the 
Swiss valleys at the middle of April, but in the higher 
Alpine regions is sometimes delayed till August. The 
eggs are not very numerous, at most about 1 ,000 in 
the same female, but comparatively large, being 1 — 1 x / 4 
mm. in diameter. They are hatched, sooner or later 
according to the temperature of the water, in from 6" 
to 15 h days. “It is a mistake,” writes Sauvadon 0 , “to 
suppose that the eggs of the Minnow are strewn about 
and carried away by the current among the gravel and 
stones, as soon as they have been deposited. During 
the spawning the fish are so numerous and packed so 
close together that their bodies are enough to neutralise 
the gentle current that otherwise passes over the 
spawning-place. Furthermore, these small, glutinous 
ova adhere to each other and fill all the interstices be- 
tween the stones, on which they may often be found 
in layers 1 — 5 cm. thick and 5 — 20 cm. long. All 
these eggs stick fast together and form a layer firm 
enough to withstand a current ten times stronger than 
that Avhich runs at the spawning-place. On the 30th 
of May I have myself gathered at least 3 kgm. of 
Minnow-eggs.” In the first week of August Yarrell 
found young Minnows three-quarters of an inch (19 
mm.) long. The Minnow reaches maturity, according 
to Fatio, at a length of 35 — 40 mm. 
At the approach of autumn the Minnow retires to 
deep water, there to pass the winter in company with 
other Cyprinoids. As food the Minnow is not to be 
despised, especially if the gall-bladder, which otherwise 
gives it a bitter taste, be removed. In Sweden, how- 
ever, it is seldom eaten; here and there in the country 
it is fried and made into the so-called fish-cake. Fur- 
ther south, where it is still more plentiful, it is a more 
appreciated dish. In England, according to Day, it is 
eaten freely, being prepared for table like Whitebait' 7 . 
In Sweden it is most important as bait for Salmon 
and Perch; but as it is not very tenacious of life, it 
must not be left long on the hook. 
a According to Davy, see Day, 1. c. 
6 According to Fatio. 
c Bull. Soc. Zool. D’Acclimat. Paris, serie 2, tome IV (1867), p. 721. 
d Buckland says that on the 16th of September, 1394 Bishop William of Wykeham, the founder of Winchester College, gave a 
dinner to the King and Queen and 210 other guests, the menu including a number of fish courses, among others 7 gallons of Minnows. 
