FISH. 71 



of which Ray enumerates five. I have not had 

 opportunity of ascertaining these, but remember well 

 to have seen, formerly, several beautiful green lacerti 

 on the sunny sandbanks near Farnham, in Surrey ; 

 and Ray admits there are such in Ireland. 



LETTER XVIII. 



TO THE SAME. 



SELBORNE, July 27, 1768. 

 DEAR SIR, 



I RECEIVED your obliging and communicative 

 letter of June the 28th, while I was on a visit at a 

 gentleman's house, where I had neither books to turn 

 to, nor leisure to sit down, to return you an answer 

 to many queries, which I wanted to resolve in the 

 best manner that I am able. 



A person, by my order, has searched our brooks, 

 but could find no such fish as the gasterosteus pungi- 

 tius ; he found the gasterosteus aculeatus in plenty k 

 This morning, in a basket, I packed a little earthen 

 pot full of wet moss, and in it some sticklebacks, 

 male and female, the females big with spawn ; some 

 lamperns ; some bull-heads ; but I could procure no 

 minnows. This basket will be in Fleet-street by 

 eight this evening ; so I hope Mazel will have them 

 fresh and fair to-morrow morning. I gave some 

 directions, in a letter, to what particulars the en- 

 graver should be attentive.* 



* The manner in which the common lamprey petromyzon 

 marinus, and the lesser species, commonly known as lamperns, 

 form their spawning-beds, is curious. They ascend our rivers 

 to breed, about the end of June, and remain until the begin- 



12 



