FOOD OF CAT FISH. 43 



beliiiid it fastened in the wood." The other fish was 

 killed, and the head presented to a museum. The 

 sailors said that no doubt the net had caught them on 

 part of a wreck, and that the cat-fish haunted the 

 remains of a vessel, for they generally are in pairs, and 

 are very fond of playing at bo-peep among pieces of 

 timber, &c. They must have only just been caught 

 when the net was hoisted up, as none of the other fish 

 were bitten. The sailors say that the jaws of the cat- 

 fish are so powerful that they can bite off a man's arm ; 

 at any rate, they look vicious enough for any atrocity. 

 These fish have very powerful long canine teeth in 

 front of both upper and lower jaw, which has farther 

 back a complete pavement of teeth above and below, 

 which are meant for crushing hard substances. I was 

 pleased to find a key to the use of these in a specimen 

 I had presented to me by Messrs. Gibson and Quelch, 

 of Bond Street. The stomach contained nearly two 

 pints of the shells and bodies of the " soldier crab," or, 

 as they are called, "Essex farmers." The fish had 

 pounded these up to mince-meat. The soldier crabs, 

 as we all know, inhabit the deserted houses of whelks 

 and other shell-fish. I have several casts and prepara- 

 tions of this remarkable fish in mv museum. 



THE CHUB. 



Abdominales Malacopterygii. Cyprinidce. 



{Leiiciscus or Ci/jrrinus cephaliis.) 



Local names : Chevin, Loggerhead, Poll, Pollard, Shelley (Eden, 

 Carlisle), the Headed Dace, Lob or Bottling. French : Le 

 Chevanne, Dohule, Le Vilain Testard. German : Deckkojjf, 

 Ber Hitel, Schwppjlsch, D'dhel. Italian: Capitone. 



The Chub is remarkable for his hawk-like quickness of 

 sight ; even the shadow of the rod or a passing cloud 



