FISH NOTES 221 



do with. I was out of work at the time, and 

 kept my small family well supplied wearied them, 

 in fact with fish. 



On a frosty January morning in 1891 I pulled up 

 a lump of ice to which some ditch weeds adhered. 

 To my surprise, I saw a colony of Three -spined 

 Sticklebacks, seemingly as much taken aback as I 

 was. I am inclined to think that this species in 

 intensely cold weather becomes semi-dormant, but 

 whether, when the whole body of water becomes 

 frozen throughout, the hardy little fellow gets 

 mixed up in the nip, and thaws into life again 

 when the ice melts, I cannot say. It would be 

 interesting to settle this matter. 



April 1891 was a busy month for those in the 

 fish line. The shrimp lads were eagerly looking 

 out for curious specimens, and amongst a consider- 

 able amount of useless and common species I 

 received the following : 



April 6. Bubalis (Coitus bubalis). A beautiful 

 living example brought me in a pickle bottle. In 

 this condition I was desirous of sending it to 

 Norwich. Accordingly, attaching a bit of rag to 

 the top and a label to the neck, I hurried with 

 it to the railway station. The clerk was sorely 

 puzzled as to the way the "parcel" should be 



