BALL AX ^VKASS. . 27 



from boats near sunken rocks and gullies which they are knoA\Ti 

 to frequent, the bait being a Avorm of the beach, or, what is 

 to be preferred, a portion of some sort of crab, of Avhich an 

 example that has lately thrown off its covering or crust is the 

 best. It is on such matters, together with several sorts of 

 shell-fish and green sea-weeds, that they commonly feed, I 

 have taken the limpet-shell (Patella) from the stomach. The 

 bait is swallowed eagerly, but when hooked they struggle with 

 much violence. 



The beds of pharyngeal teeth, which are situated low down 

 in the gullet, form a remarkable character in this fish, and 

 require to be mentioned as being intimately connected with 

 the nature of its food and its digestion. They are formed of 

 two smaller triai;igular beds of blunt teeth above, Avith round 

 tops, and planted on a bed of bone, and of a larger trian- 

 gular bed opposed to them on the under side. And to render 

 these teeth more firm for the Avork they have to perform, 

 contrary to the example of teeth in the jaAvs of fishes, they 

 are implanted in the substance of the bone itself, from Avhich 

 they appear to be renewed AA^hen their usefulness is destroyed. 

 It is a question Avhether their employment is to act upon the 

 food as it passes into the stomach, or rather that the grinding 

 action is brought to bear upon it Avhen it becomes regurgitated, 

 in a manner Avhich bears an analogy to the action of rumi- 

 nation in the ox and sheep. It is a confirmation of this last- 

 named opinion that the sea-weeds and other matters usually 

 existing in the stomach are found to be in a short time ground 

 into a pulp. It might be supposed that the arrangement of 

 these gvittural teeth Avould lend assistance in the discrimination 

 of doubtful species in this family; but obserA'ation shcAvs that 

 this is liable to some A'ariation, and consequently must not be 

 relied upon. 



Fishermen have informed me that Avhen they resort to a ucav 

 station, it is usual at first to catch a AVrass — one or more — 

 of the larger size, and aftcrAvards, on going to the same spot, 

 they find more in number, but of less Avcight; and from this 

 theA^ haA'e draAvn the conclusion that the older fishes had kept 

 the young ones at a distance as long as they Avere able to 

 retain the dominion. It may have been some incidents like 

 this Avhich led ancient observers to construct the storv Ave 



