302 HABITS OF BARBEL. 



midst of abundance, that, if incontinently after- 

 wards caught and slain, a coroner's jury should 

 judge the cause of death on view of the body, 

 they would pronounce it to be inanition, or the 

 want of the common necessaries of life. He is 

 one of those ungrateful creatures that always 

 shame their nurses. His great angling value is 

 his obstinacy, which gives him strength, notwith- 

 standing the morbid appearances of the muscles, 

 and he will resist your efforts to tow him out of 

 the water with exciting energy. His large fins 

 give him great power in the water, and he works 

 heavily with them to get away when hooked, 

 making them tread and beat the water like the 

 paddles of a slow steamer. 



Barbel spawn about midsummer, and are soon 

 again as well as ever. July, August, and Sep- 

 tember are the best months to angle for them. 

 Their general haunts are the deep parts of rapid 

 rivers. They very seldom seek the shallow streams. 

 They are generally in company, and, wherever you 

 catch one, you may expect to catch two or more. 

 They lurk under the shelter of overhanging banks, 

 and, by their great power in stemming the stream, 

 they are able to place themselves in the best posi- 

 tions for seizing displaced insects or small fish ; 

 for, though they will not, it is supposed, seize on 

 live fish or other animals, they are considered 

 greedily carnivorous dead carcases of; all sorts 



