290 Zoology, 



the anglers in some of the rivers in Yorkshire (perhaps in 

 other counties also), where two different methods of fishing it 

 are practised. The one is bobbing, which, with one sort of 

 bait or other, is universal, and therefore needs no description; 

 however, it is always practised in bright weather, I believe. 

 In the other method the May-fly is fished in rapid streams 

 with a long line, in the same way as the artificial fly, except 

 that it is fished up the stream ; that is, the angler throws his 

 line into the stream above where he stands, and allows it to 

 float down opposite to him, when he makes another throw : 

 by this means he always keeps the line slack, and the May-fly 

 floats on the surface, which is essential to his success. 



I mention these two methods of fishing, because both are 

 practised in bright w^eather, and therefore prove that fish 

 both " feed and discern" on such days. I believe the fact 

 is, that at such times they frequently see too well for the 

 angler, and are consequently aware that his artificial flies are 

 not what they seem to be. Fishes, particularly graylings, may 

 be seen rising by dozens at the small midges ( ? Culicbides 

 punctata Latreille) which abound so much in sunny weather, 

 without the angler being able to hook a single fish. The 

 first-rate anglers are well aware of these things, and abandon 

 their larger flies as the summer advances, use smaller hooks, 

 dress their flies much finer, and substitute horsehair for the 

 fishing-gut when they can procure it of good quality. 



Lampreys [Petromyzon jlwoiatilis) abound in the Ribble, 

 some of them of the large species P. marmus, which are 

 caught of 3, 4, and sometimes 7 lbs. weight ; but, owing to 

 a prejudice which exists against them (I suppose on account 

 of their ugliness), they are seldom eaten. I will illustrate this 

 prejudice by giving you the remark of a keen fisherman to 

 myself, on my saying that I should eat a large one I had just 

 caught. " Well ! " said he ; " if you can manage to eat such 

 a thing as that, you would not stick at devouring a child in the 

 small-pox." This, if not an elegant, was at least a forcible, 

 expression of his opinion on the subject ; and this dislike to 

 them is almost universal in this neighbourhood. — T, G. 

 Clitheroe, Lancashire, Jan. 17. 1832. 



Queries relative to the lampreys, their sex, and other par- 

 ticulars, will be found in Vol. IIL p. 478. : they are by "An 

 Old Angler," to whom scarcely any one seems yet to have 

 given answer. — J. D, 



Cyprinus Vhoxinus Linnaeus. — Mrs. Unwin and I, cross- 

 ing a brook, saw, from the foot-bridge, somewhat at the 

 bottom of the water which had the appearance of a flower. 

 Observing it attentively, we found that it consisted of a cir- 



