OF SELBOKNE. 67 



town, and procured several living specimens of loaches, which 

 he brought, safe and brisk, in a glass decanter. They were 

 taken in the gullies that were cut for watering the meadows. 

 From these fishes (which measured from two to four inches 

 in length) I took the following description : " The loach, in 

 " it's general aspect, has a pellucid appearance : it's back is 

 " mottled with irregular collections of small black dots, not 

 " reaching much below the linea lateralis, as are the back and 

 " tail fins : a black line runs from each eye down to the nose ; 

 " it's belly is of a silvery white; the upper jaw projects beyond 

 " the lower, and is surrounded with six feelers, three on each 

 " side; it's pectoral fins are large, it's ventral much smaller; the 

 " finbehindit's anus small; it's dorsal fin large, containing eight 

 " spines; it's tail, where it joins to the fail-fin, remarkably broad, 

 " without any taperness, so as to be characteristic of this genus: 

 " the tail-fin is broad, and square at the end. From the breadth 

 " and muscular strength of the tail, it appears to be an active 

 " nimble fish." 



In my visit I was not very far from Hunaerford, and did 

 not forget to make some inquiries concerning the wonderful 

 method of curing cancers by means of toads. Several intelli- 

 gent persons, both gentry and clergy, do, I find, give a great 

 deal of credit to what was asserted in the papers : and I my- 

 self dined with a clergyman who seemed to be persuaded that 

 what is related is matter of fact ; but, when I came to attend 

 to his account, I thought I discerned circumstances which did 

 not a little invalidate the woman's story of the manner in 

 which she came by her skill. She says of herself " that, la- 

 bouring under a virulent cancer, she went to some church 

 where there was a vast crowd : on going into a pew, she was 

 accosted by a strange clergyman ; who, after expressing com- 

 passion for her situation, told her that if she would make such 

 an application of living toads as is mentioned she would be 

 well." Now is it likely that this unknown gentleman should 

 express so much tenderness for this single sufferer, and not 

 feel any for the many thousands that daily languish under 

 this terrible disorder? Would he not have made use of this 

 invaluable nostrum for his own emolument ; or, at least, by 



