%% FISHES. 



a-pie. This small savage lay closely concealed 

 underneath a bit of black stick whenever the trout 

 was in sight ; but the moment he could venture 

 out with safety, away he went right into the 

 middle of a shoal of infant Minnows, enjoying 

 the sunshine in this early period of their ex- 

 istence on a little sandbank scarcely covered with 

 water; he turned them over right and left, — 

 retired and charged, — and charged again, as far 

 as I could judge, out of pure mischief, for he 

 neither ate nor injured them. The only interval 

 of ease enjoyed by these unfortunate infants was 

 when Tyrant Trout came to digest what he had 

 caught, or to take a short siesta : then Mr. 

 Pricklyback lay like a slave in the presence of 

 his master, until his turn of indemnity arrived.*' 



One of our native fishes, thence called the Vivi- 

 parous Blenny, produces its young alive, and able 

 to provide for their own support. But, in general, 

 the continuation of the race is effected among fishes 

 by means of eggs, called in the aggregate, spawn ; 

 and, before it is excluded, roe. It is often de- 

 posited in the gravelly beds of rivers, the female 

 ploughing up a shallow furrow or trench for its 

 reception, either with her muzzle or her tail, and 

 then covering it up again. Others deposit their 

 spawn in the sandy shallows of the sea, or wind 

 it among rocks, or lodge it in bunches of sea- 

 weeds. In general, no parental care is displayed 

 for the spawn after it has been deposited, but 

 there are some interesting exceptions to the rule. 

 Pennant states of the River Bullhead, that it 

 deposits its spawn in a hole it forms in the gravel, 

 and quits it with great reluctance. And this is 

 confirmed by a correspondent of Mr. Yarrell, an 



