22 LECTURE II. 



acquainted with, for it is found in all the Eu- 

 ropean seas. They are sometimes called fishing- 

 frogs, from their resemblance to that animal; 

 but I believe you call them sea-devils. It is a 

 large fish, and has been caught seven feet in 

 length. Now, this fish has no defensive arms, 

 nor strength in its limbs, or quickness in swim- 

 ming ; but it is a cunning fish, as I will prove 

 to you. In order to procure its food it hides 

 itself in the mud, covers itself over with sea- 

 weed, or conceals itself among stones, and lets 

 no part of it be seen but the end of some 

 fringes of its body, which it moves and agitates 

 in different directions, so as to make them ap- 

 pear like worms or other baits. Fishes, at- 

 tracted by this apparent prey, come near this 

 sea-devil, when he catches them in his enormous 

 throat, which is furnished with almost innumer- 

 able teeth. There is another of this species 

 which has only a single, what may be called, 

 bait, just above his mouth. You see in this 

 case of the sea-devil, that if it cannot pursue 

 and overtake and seize its prey, it is enabled 

 as in the case of the electric eel and the fly- 

 shooter to do so in a way we should not ex- 



