MACKAREL MIDGE. 



115 



pleasure in rubbing themselves by passing to and fro below a 

 floating clump of sea-weed, or the corks of a net. They also 

 rejoice in the shelter afforded beneath the expanded canopy of 

 the larger medusce; and in keeping close to such objects they 

 sometimes become so entirely off their guard as to suffer them- 

 selves to be taken with the hand. Yet they usually exercise 

 much vigilance and activity, and dart away on a slight appearance 

 of danger; and wlien left by the tide in some large pool of the 

 rocks, their movements are nimble, with the appearance of being 

 instigated by intense feelings of delight. 



Pursuing and pursued the tail has been bent to one side, 

 and in this position it has urged and driven the little creatures 

 in their gambols, safe, at that time at least, from the intrusion 

 of voracious enemies. Kept in a glass vessel, there is shewn 

 the same disposition to seek the shelter of some covering object, 

 whether on the surface or at the bottom; and in the situation 

 last mentioned, the fish was so fortunate as to find a small 

 fragment of green oreweed, beneath which it passed a con- 

 siderable portion of its time. 



They die immediately on being taken from the water. 

 There is no doubt that these fishes feed on animal substances, 

 and there is proof that they are even eager after it. An 

 individual of this species was placed in a glass globe with two 

 very small Grey Mullets, and a piece of brown oreweed that 

 was covered with cord-like convolutions of the ova of some 

 kind of molluscous creature of a pink red colour. After a 

 fortnight it was found that these mullets had devoured the 

 whole of the ova contained in this mucous cord, but the covering 

 itself was only torn to pieces by them; but the Mackarel Midge 

 had had no share in this feast. His longing was for more 

 substantial things, and he finally attacked one of the Mullets, 

 which he laid hold of near its head, and so grasped it as to 

 carrv it about his prison for more than a minute, without being 

 able to swallow the fish, which was equal to two thirds of its 

 own size. Both it and the surviving Mullet were afterwards 

 fed on bread. Mr. Peach discovered this fish in abundance at 

 Wick, in Scotland; and he found that they took animal food 

 freely in captivity, making a dash at it when held to them on 

 a feather ; and so firmly did they hold it, that they were lifted 

 out of the water as they retained it with their teeth, fighting 



