94 
BURBOLT. 
siderable degree of cold, at least in winter, appears to be natural 
to it; and hence it is not only common in Sweden, and other 
parts of the north of Europe, but also in Siberia and other 
portions of the north of Asia, as well as in India. 
Besides the names which we have already assigned to it, this 
fish is also locally known as the Coney fish, from an opinion 
formerly held that the creature called the Coney in the Sacred 
Scriptures, — the Arkeeko of Bruce, is the same with our common 
rabbit; and this fish so far imitates the animal of the land as 
to pass much of its time, and seek its shelter in holes 
and overhanging banks of the rivers it frequents. These are 
its hiding places by day, and from them it proceeds to seek 
its food in the evening and night; and it is at these times that 
the chief success is obtained by fishing for it: the method being 
by lines laid especially for the purpose. We are informed that 
forty have been taken in the Eiver Trent by one fisherman in 
a single night; and indeed with a little shill in finding their 
haunts, there seems to be little difficulty in securing them, for 
they possess the common character of their tribe in being very 
voracious; and Sir John Franklin, in his first voyage to the 
far north of the American continent, where he discovered this 
fish, and which there bears the name of Methy, observes of it 
that it win prey on fish that are large enough to swell out its 
body to almost twice its natural size. To the commendation 
bestowed on the flesh of the Burbolt, the liver is also pronounced 
a great delicacy; but it is added that the roe is almost poisonous. 
This roe is produced in great abundance. 
It is said that the Burbolt is found of larger size on the 
continent, and particularly in the Lake of Geneva, than with 
us; but we have a record of an example which weighed six 
pounds, and Pennant mentions one which amounted to eight 
pounds. Lloyd, in Ids Scandinavian adventures, mentions a 
Burbolt that weighed twenty pounds. A more common size is 
two or three pounds. The example selected for description 
measured in length thirteen inches and a half. Head depressed, 
wide, sloping from above the gill-covers to the mouth; upper 
jaw a little overlapping the lower; snout rounded; mouth rather 
capacious, tongue large, teeth numerous, in a bed round the 
jaws, and a wide circle round the palate. Barb on the lower 
jaw slender; eye moderate; body round and stout, with a 
