////. 



) Mil./ 



jK>ssess this singular property f walking OMT ilry ground. so that the >M proverb of a fish 

 out of water K in the.se cases, quite inapplicable. 



It is known ..f the riiml.inir IVrvh tliat (lit- fishermen ..f the Ganges, who subsist largely 

 on the- iNli.-... ;ir,. :l , , i|st,,m.-d to j.ut them into an earthen pan -T .-ham as soon as caught ; 

 aii'l although nowat.-i i> supplied to them, they i-xi-t \>i\ well without it, and live this 

 -inn.,.- life for live or -i\ da\ - 



< 'ii oiN-nini: til.- head of this li>h, the curious structure which enables it to jwrform wurh 

 niurv-lloii-< l--at> is <-l.-ail\ ^i\. .liit \\ithin tin- sides of tlic h-uI. tin- " pliarynp-al " l-nies, 

 . tlu hones tliat >up|x.rt tin- oriliri- U-HM-.-H tin- month and K'"!''*'. : '"' "nirh t-iilarp^l, and 

 inixliliiil into a series of Ial>\ riiiihiin- cells and duplications, so that tln-v i.-tain a l:u-.- amount 

 of water in the interstices, and prevent the i;ill-incnil>raiies from iN-coinin^ dry. Some writers 

 say that this lish is ra|uil)|e of climbing up the rough stems of palm-trees, in search of the 

 water that lodges U-twifM tin- l.ases of t lie dead leaves and the stein. Imt this account is now 

 held unworthy of U'lief. In the Tumoiile language it cjillel ram-iri. or 'IW-dimber. 



Tin: small p-nus .\th.-rinid.-e ha> a representative in 

 a pretty little li>h, and one that is of great use to iMi.-nnen, lxth for sale and for bait. 



It N extivm, ly plentiful here in America, as well as in Europe, and in many places is sold 

 as the true ^m.-lt. which it somewhat n..-mli|es in flavor and the |K-< uliar (xlor as of cucumber. 



ORAT ML'LLKT. Mufti eafUe. 



Owing to the small size of this fi^h the net is the usual mode of capture, the fashion of which 

 varies acconlinir to the locality. On some coasts the net is about ninety feet in length and 

 .L'ht.-.-n IM d.-p-ii. :nri i- imn :i!"ii_' tli.- -viiKU I'V tin- united aid "f M.- p:ni\ in a l.at and 

 the other on the shore. In other places, however, it is circular and supported on an iron hoop. 

 It is then baited with broken criistacea and lowered into the water. At intervals it is raised 

 smartly to the surface, and the entrapped Sand Smelts removed. 



The color of the Sand Smelt is the jcilest pink, diversified with a broad belt of shining 

 silvery-white, which is drawn along the side. The cheeks, gill-covers, and the base of each 

 IHM tonil fin are of the same white hue. Upon the upper part of the back and head are a great 

 number of little Mack spots. The length of the fish is from six to seven inches. 



WE now come to the important family of the Mugilidw, of which the common GBAT 

 ML-LLET is a good example. In all these fish there are two dorsal fins, the first having four 

 stiff spines. They are spread over all sea-coasts and fresh waters of the ternj>erate and tropi- 

 cal region*. The mode of feeding is rather curious. These fish li\-,. chiefly on the soft organic 

 substances that are found mixed with weed and sand, and in swallowing the food a 'n-id.-ra- 

 bl.- amount of sand is taken into the mouth. The fish, however, is f urnished with a kind ot 

 self-filtering apparatus, by means of which the heterogeneous mass is raked and sifted, as it 

 were, and the indigestible portions rejected. 



