THROAT TEETH OF THE BARBEL. 9 



and steer liim in the rapid currents and mill-streams in 

 wliicli lie lives. If we move the serrated ray upwards, 

 we find the whole fin follows it, and is kept tense by it ; 

 let it go, and the fin again sinks down. In the mast of 

 a London barge we find a parallel contrivance. The 

 barge makes headway by means of this contrivance ; 

 so does the barbel, only that his sail (so to speak) is 

 o^Dposed to water, not wind. 



Most fish that live in dark places have scales more 

 or less brilliant. The barbel's scales are of a pale gold 

 colour edged with black. They are very numerous, and 

 this will be seen if a portion of the barbel's skin be taken 

 ofi* and dried on the window-pane. It is not everybody 

 who can catch barbel. They are very artful, and re- 

 quire to be collected by means of ground-bait. 



A good day's barbel fishing is enjoyable above all 

 measure, but it is most advisable to employ a profes- 

 sional fisherman to ground-bait the " swim," arrange 

 the tackle, &c. The finer the tackle used for barbel the 

 more sport you get in catching them. The bite of the 

 barbel is a double knock, a "rat-tat." I myself like to 

 use a Nottingham reel. The barbel when first caught 

 has the power of making a very peculiar noise, which is 

 one of the many problems which I wish my readers to 

 investigate and, if possible, explain. If the finger be 

 placed down the throat of a live barbel, it will be found 

 that it will he nipped very smartly by a set of very 

 large teeth in the pharynx. These should be taken out, 

 and the flesh removed either by boiling or scraping, or 

 both ; it will then be seen they are very strong and 

 crooked, mounted in three rows. 



