68 FISHES AND FISHING, 



rious in fish ponds. (Bowlker.) ThejTwill attack 

 roach, dace, &c., twice their own size, and are most 

 destructive of the spawn of fish. In the fens they 

 are so numerous, that about once in eight years they 

 are caught in cart-loads in the river Welland, and 

 are used^as manure ; they fertilize the land extremely. 

 They are also good food for poultry, who are very fond 

 of them, as well as of sprats, and their effect is to 

 increase both their fecundity and size. (Salter.) 



" A. man has been known to make four shillings 

 per day by catching them and selling them at 

 one half-penny a bushel for manure 96 bushels i 

 They are so strong as to spring eighteen inches out 

 of the water. The males are extremely quarrelsome^ 

 and will fight with each other most furiously ; biting 

 each other with their mouths, which are well fur 

 nished with teeth, and endeavour to pierce each other 

 with their lateral spines ; the conqueror pursues the 

 conquered most vindictively, and the former changes 

 his appearance, the lower jaw and belly becoming a 

 deep crimson, and the back a fine green or cream 

 colour, shewing animation and spirit, the latter losing 

 both colour and spirit. Each choosing a different 

 locality, a battle is the result of junj infringement 

 of another's territories."* 



* I copied the above paragraph many years ago from a work 

 " Tales about Animals, Fish, &c. ;" and the statement about the 



