A history of the fishes of the British Islands . uiiatilis and Thymus to be different species; but what hesays of either of them may apply to our Grayling, althoughhis figure of the Thymus is represented too deep, unless,perhaps, when the fish is heavy with spawn. Gesner believesthe Umbra to be our Grayling; but a fish of the same namementioned by Columella belongs to the sea, and is our Sciccnaor jNIaigre, of which the word Umbra is a translation. It is not the least remarkable portion of the history of theGrayling, that its distribution among the rivers of our countryis as irregular as it is
A history of the fishes of the British Islands . uiiatilis and Thymus to be different species; but what hesays of either of them may apply to our Grayling, althoughhis figure of the Thymus is represented too deep, unless,perhaps, when the fish is heavy with spawn. Gesner believesthe Umbra to be our Grayling; but a fish of the same namementioned by Columella belongs to the sea, and is our Sciccnaor jNIaigre, of which the word Umbra is a translation. It is not the least remarkable portion of the history of theGrayling, that its distribution among the rivers of our countryis as irregular as it is limited; so that while it is abundantin some places, especially in the north and east of England,in others, perhaps not far removed, and also in the southand west, it is unknown; nor lias it been discovered in anypart of Scotland and Ireland, although there are situations inthese portions of the United Kingdom which appear to beequally well adapted to its habits. Circumstances of thisnature have given rise to the supposition that the Grayling,. GRAYLING. 281 •which is well known to be a delicate dish, and as such isspoken of in the Book of St. Albans,—The Grayllynge,by another name callyd Unibre, is a delycyous fysshe tomannys raouthe,—is not an original native of our rivers, butwas at first imported from the continent, where it is morecommon than with us; and hence that it was conveyed onlyinto such districts as suited the convenience of those whobrought it. We cannot affirm or deny this, but it is certainthat in no distant times some of our rivers have received itfrom others, as is the case with the River Test, in Hampshire,mentioned by Sir Humphrey Davy, to which it was broughtfrom the Avon not a great while since; and they haveincreased in their new residences as freely as in their formerstations, but from some peculiarities in their nature it is onlyin individual streams that the labour of conveyance is likelyto be accompanied with success. It may be, however, thatt
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