THE SUCKERS. 539 



Skargai'd, or elsewhere in the Swedish seas; hut on tlie 

 western coast of Norway it would not appear to be rare. 

 It dwells at the bottom, usually at the depth of about thirty 

 fathoms, and for the most part with its mouth attached 

 to a stone or an empty mussel-shell, and hence is seldom 

 secured, except in the skrapa, a kind of dredge, used by 

 zoologists to bring up small marine animals. In this 

 way the Baron von Diiben, who Avas the first to add it to 

 the Scandinavian fauna, captured on one occasion five of 

 these fish in the shell of a Cyprina Islandica. When 

 taken out of the water, it at once fixes itself to the hand, 

 or to the side of the vessel on which it is placed; and, if 

 removed by force, will forthwitJi attach itself to the first 

 object that offers. Its adhesive powers continue, it is 

 said, even after death. It has been observed that the 

 globes of its eyes protrvide in an extraordinary manner, 

 and may be moved independently of one another. When, 

 therefore, it has fastened itself to a stone, or what not, 

 it can with facility watch the movements of its enemies, 

 without changing the position of its head. Nothing 

 farther seems known to Northern naturalists in regard 

 to its habits. 



The Lump Sucker {Sten-b'it, or stone-biter (male), 

 Qvdhhso (female), Sw. ; Bogii-Kexe, Norw. ; Ilac-padde, or 

 sea-toad, Dan. ; Cijcloptenis Litnipits, Linn.) was common 

 with us, and along the whole of the western coast of 

 both Sweden and Norway up to the North Cape. It is also 

 pretty common in parts of the Baltic. Its usual length 

 is from a foot to a foot and a half, and weight four to 

 seven pounds, but it attains a somewhat greater size. 

 The female is considerably larger than the male. As 

 with the Bimaculated Sucker, its power of adhesion is 

 great. It is said, indeed, that if, when captured, it be 

 placed in a bucket of water, it will affix itself so firmly to 

 the bottom that, on taking it by the tail, the bucket. 



