MUGIL. 269 



spect, they resemble, in habits, the gregarious 

 wild cattle of South America. 



Careful observation has confirmed the declara- 

 tion of the old settlers on the shores of Lake 

 Champlain, that one species of fishes is found on 

 one side of the lake, and never, under any circum- 

 stances., on the other. Dog-fish, and others of sim- 

 ilar properties, are the wolves of all inshore marine 

 fishes, forever prowling in the vicinity of such 

 piscatory settlements, stealing and mangling the 

 victims that accidentally fall in their way. At 

 times, those marauders get the ascendency, by the 

 destruction they make, but the moment the 

 citadel is taken, they forsake the premises, in 

 search of another to wage war upon. As the dog- 

 fish abounds at the north side of the Cape, it is 

 possible thay have broken up the settlements 

 which otherwise might be formed. 



" Deep in the wave is a coral grove, 

 Where the purple mullet and gold-fish rove." 



While contemplating the social character of cer- 

 tain families of the ocean, it has occurred to us, that 

 some of them may actually possess the elements, 

 if nothing more, of maternal solicitude for their 

 offspring. 



Naturalists, with one single exception, which 

 will be presently considered, have not discovered 



