GEN. MOTELLA. THE ROCKLINCf. 207 



species is singular in another respect; among a 

 tribe of fishes otherwise as strictly marine as possi- 

 ble, it is exclusively fluviatile, never being found 

 but in rivers or lakes, and having no communica- 

 tion with the sea. In this country it appears to 

 be confined to England ; but its distribution on the 

 Continent is extensive. The Cam, the Trent, the 

 Ouse, the Esk, and the Derwent, are a few of the 

 English rivers in which the Burbot is a resident. 

 " It conceals itself," says Mr. Yarrell, " under 

 stones, waiting and w^atching for its prey, consist- 

 ing of aquatic insects and young fish, under arches, 

 and near eddies, into which such small and weak 

 animals are likely to be brought by the current of 

 the water. It feeds principally during the night ; 

 and, like the eel, is most frequently caught by trim- 

 mers and niffht-lines." * 



Its ordinary length is from one to two feet, and the 

 weight about two pounds ; but it frequently occurs 

 considerably above that length, and three or four 

 times that weight. Its flesh is white and excellent ; 

 and it is one of the species which Sir H. Davy re- 

 commends to be propagated and diffused throughout 

 our lakes and rivers, for which it is particularly 

 well adapted, as it is of a very hardy nature, and 

 so tenacious of life that it can be kept a long time 

 alive out of the water. 



Gen. LXXYII. Motella. — In this group the 

 general form of the second dorsal and anal fins are 

 pretty much as in the two last genera; but the 

 * British Fishes, vol. ii. p. 268. 



