GEN. MUGIL. THE GREY MULLET. 249 



peatedly receives the bait into its mouth and rejects 

 it ; so that when hooked it is in the Hps, from which 

 the weight and struggles of the fish often dehver it. 

 The females shed their spawn about midsummer; 

 and the young, in August, then an inch long, are 

 seen entering the fresh-water, keeping at some dis- 

 tance above the tide, but retiring as it recedes. 

 The change and rechange from salt water to fresh 

 seems necessary to their health, as I judge from hav- 

 ing kept them in glass vessels. 



" The Grey Mullet is frequently an object of sport 

 to the angler. They rise freely at the flies used for 

 trout, and even at the larger or more gaudy flies 

 used for salmon. They are reported to be strong in 

 the water, and require care in the management of 

 them, as they plunge violently. The best time for 

 angling them is when the tide is coming in. The 

 partiality exhibited by this fish for fresh water has 

 led to actual experiment of the efi"ect of confining 

 them to it entirely. Mr. Arnould put a number of 

 the fry into his pond at Guernsey, which is about 

 three acres area, and has been before referred to. 

 After a few years, Mullet of 4 lbs. weight were 

 caught, which proved to be fatter, deeper, and 

 heavier, for their length, than others obtained from 

 the sea. Of all the various salt-water fishes intro- 

 duced, the Grey Mullet appeared the most im- 

 proved. A slight change in the external colour is 

 said to be visible." 



(Sp. 62.) M. chelo. The Thick-lipped Grey 

 Mullet differs from the preceding in having the 



