FOOD OF CAT FISH. 43 



bcLind it fastened in the wood." The other fish was 

 killed, and the head presented to a museum. The 

 sailors said that no doubt the net had caught them on 

 part of a wreck, and that the cat-fish haunted the 

 remains of a vessel, for they generally are in pairs, and 

 are very fond of playing at bo-peep among pieces of 

 timber, &c. They must have only just been caught 

 when the net was hoisted up, as none of the other fish 

 were bitten. The sailors say that the jaws of the cat- 

 fish are so powerful that they can bite off a man's arm ; 

 at any rate, they look vicious enough for any atrocity. 

 These fish have very powerful long canine teeth in 

 front of both upper and lower jaw, which has farther 

 back a complete pavement of teeth above and below, 

 which are meant for crushing hard substances. I was 

 pleased to find a key to the use of these in a specimen 

 I had presented to me by Messrs. Gibson and Quelch, 

 of Bond Street. The stomach contained nearly two 

 pints of the shells and bodies of the '' soldier crab," or, 

 as they are called, " Essex farmers." The fish had 

 pounded these up to mince-meat. The soldier crabs, 

 as we all know, inhabit the deserted houses of whelks 

 and other shell-fish. I have several casts and prepara- 

 tions of this remarkable fish in mv museum. 



THE CHUB. 



Abdommales Malacopterygii. Cyprinida. 



{Leiiciscus or Cijprinus cephalus.) 



Local names: Chevin, Loggerhead, Foil, Pollard, Shelley (Eden, 

 Carlisle), the Headed Dace, Lob or Bottling. French : Le 

 Chevanne, Dohule, Le Vilain Testard. German : Deckkopf, 

 Der Hitel, Schuppfisch, Dobel. Italian : Capitone. 



The Chub is remarkable for his hawk-like quickness of 

 sight ; even the shadow of the rod or a passing cloud 



