COREGONUS WILLUGHBEII.
T H E VENDACE OR LOCIIMABEN COREGONUS.
n Coregonus i (1 by the older, a-s well as modern Naturalists,THE Vendace or with tlie species from
the lakus of England and Wales ; iind hy ourselves OTGI t i e C. Marcrnula of coDtineDtal writers,—to which, however, it is
nearly allied. The difficulty wUcli there was in early limes, and yet exists, of procuring specimens for comparison fnini
diflerent localities upon the Continent, no doubt caused this want of discrimination; and it was not until the visit of MAgussiz
v> Scotland, during the meeting of the British Association in 1832, Uiat any suspicion was entertained of the lisli
buing distinct from all the Coregoni known upon the Continent. The above uained Ichthyologist, however, considered it as
iiukQown in centj'a) Europe ; und the specific appeUation under which it now stands, was then given to it to endeavour to
bring the works of our earliest systematic Ichthyologists more frequently to our recollections.
The same choumstances which caused the confusion between this and the other species of Coregoni in Britain, Ireland,
and tlie Continent, tended to lay down for it a geographical range of considerable extent. This, however, acuordbg to all
our present information, seems to be equally erroneous. M. Agassiz, as we have stated, considers it unknown in central
Uurope; and so far as we have any authentic record, the series of lochs in the vicinity of Lochmaben, in Dumfriesshire, are
its only ascertained locality in the world."
ts restricted
In the ridnity of Lochmaben, the Vendace has long been a fish celebrated as a delicacy for the table, which il
locality, and the difficulty of procuring, still more enhances. Like the greater number, or perhaps all its ci
gicgarious, Uving in shoals, and approaching the margins of the lochs particularly about the end of summer or in autumn,
when it is advancmg to the state for depositing spawn. They are taken by nets havmg a small mesh; the fishing of some
days being remarkable for success, while m others a few are with difficulty oblaiaed. They have been tried t.) he introduced
into one or two artificial pieces of water, but hitherto without much success; and although they have Uved for months, they
hai e never kept in condiUon or bred. This may he attributed principally to the absence of pro|«r food, which, in their
Entomosti'aca. for feeding on which the s
feed more indiscriminately; but those minute animals,
native waters, is extremely abundant, ai!d consists chiefly i
the mouth and gills are beautifiilly adapted ; ihe other Briv
and occasionally small insects, consUtute almost the solo sustenance ol' the Vendace.
The colom-s we have endeavoured to represent on our Plate, and they do not se
token from die lochs adjoining to the CasUe Loch, where tlio bottom is ino-'isy, they a
more to yellowish-brown ou the under |)ai'ts,
subject to much variation; when
f a darker lint above, and incline
<,0 l^JMurgK Jtmiiil of 1
• Wdo, ind Irclana are o<
:d 1,,- Mr, n