On the Petromyzon Marinus, 



79 



it adhered so firmly, that it required very considerable exertion 

 to detach it ; for it suffered itself to be raised up by the tail 

 and shaken, still holding the other fish suspended from its jaws. 

 When finally separated, it showed great ferocity, darting at every 

 thing near it, and at last seizing the deck, which it held very 

 fast, writhing with its tail and body as if in the act of tearing it 

 to pieces. When detached, its teeth left a deep circular im- 

 pression on the wood, the fibres of which were drawn into the 

 cavity of its jaws, so as to be raised up in the form of a cone. 

 I now directed, that it should be put into a bucket of sea water, 

 in the hope of preserving it alive until we arrived in Dublin, but 

 it died in a shorter time than could be expected, from the energy 

 and activity it had displayed, long after the other fish was dead. 

 We had handled it very roughly, and so perhaps had mortally 

 hurt an animal otherwise very tenacious of life. 



On examining the fishes, I found that which had taken the 



hook, was the gadusPolachius, or whiting Pollack. It was about 

 two feet long, and it is probable its active enemy had fastened 



