78 BRITISH FRESH- WATER FISHES 



""To breede Miller s Thumbes and Loches in Shallow Brookes 



or Rivers. 



" The fish called Loches, and the other called Millers 

 Thumbes or Guiles . . . are fish holesome to be eaten of feeble 

 persons having an ague or other sicknesse. . . . Like as there 

 is a shallow river running from Barcamstide to Chestum and so 

 to Chane ; also by Croydon and other places, wherein they 

 might breede of the said fish great store, if they were so given. 

 The like river runnes in Hampeshire bysides Altum, increasing 

 by diverse springes, and runnes shallow in many places, and by 

 a certaine parish there called ; * the Parson 



thereof hath tolde me he hath had so many of the said Culles 

 and Loches to his tithe weekly, that they have found him 

 sufficient to eate Fridays and Saturdays, wherefor he was called 

 the Parson of Culles." 



In the category of sporting fish the miller's thumb can 

 claim no place. It is true that it may easily be caught by 

 dangling a small red worm on miniature tackle in front of its 

 lair. The bullhead is neither fastidious nor shy, and never 

 seems to be off its feed ; but he who wishes for a dish of 

 miller's thumbs had best take the shortest way to his object. 

 Let him secure the assistance of a friend and repair to the 

 nearest brook, the smaller and shallower the better. One of 

 the pair lifts a likely stone in the channel ; very likely the dark 

 ungainly form of Cottus will be seen reposing beneath it. 

 The fish will make no attempt to dart away, and may be lifted 

 out without difficulty and consigned to a can. A still shorter 

 and simpler method of capture is described by Aristotle, who 

 says : " There occur in rivers certain little fish, found under 

 stones, which some people call Cottoi. From their lying under 

 stones people catch them by striking these stones with (other) 



* Blank in original. 



