356 RAMBLES ABOUT HOME. 



torn concealed under stones (not always), darting, when 

 frightened or hungry, with great velocity for a short dis- 

 tance by a powerful movement of the fan-shaped pectoral 

 iins, then stopping as suddenly .... All are carnivorous, 

 and, in their way, voracious." 



There are several species of these darters found in 

 oar streams. Of this I am well convinced ; but I have 

 not so surely identified more than two. Of these, the 

 larger is the sand-perch. To find it, we must hunt some 

 little bed of clean sand among the rocks of the river, and 

 sharp eyes will be required to detect it, even when we 

 are sure of its whereabouts. Here, resting on the sand, it 

 remains "stock still," and one would almost think it 

 dead; but let a shadow pass over it even, or a baby 

 crayfish dare to come near, and, like a flash of light, both 

 fish and little crustacean have disappeared. Often, when 

 fishing for perch, I have leaned over the side of the boat, 

 and, scanning closely every square inch of sand, have final- 

 ly caught a glimpse of a sand-perch. The perch proper 

 would be for the time forgotten, and the little etheosto- 

 moid, or darter, command all my attention. No matter if 

 the sun did burn my neck, or the larger fish were biting 

 eagerly : the chance was too good to lose, and down into 

 the depths I would gaze while the little fish remained. 

 If nothing eatable came by, the darter would be content 

 to remain idle ; but this does not long continue, for sooner 

 or later some little speck, one could not tell what, would 

 float by, and with a jerk, jump, twist, and wiggle, that 

 speck had gone so, too, the darter. This indeed about 

 covers my knowledge of its habits at least, so far as I 

 have seen it in the river, for I know nothing as to where 

 and when it lays its eggs. Under different and some- 

 what peculiar circumstances, however, I have several times 

 met with this little darter, and these instances merit a 



