PIPE-FISH. 157 



tide gliding about over submerged rocks close to the shore, their 

 own bright colours beautifully contrasting with the darker hues 

 of the sea-weed. No fish, however, are a greater source of 

 trouble and annoyance to the inexperienced angler. Let him 

 attempt to fish where the water is but shallow, or place his float 

 only a little too high upon the line, and scarcely does he " throw 

 out," before the bait is taken by some hungry Connor ; which, the 

 moment it feels the hook, darts to the nearest cluster of weeds, 

 and nestling amongst the stems, or wedging itself into some hole 

 or crevice ifl the rock, bids defiance to the young sportsman, who 

 might tug till the crack of doom without inducing the rogue to 

 stir. Loss of gear is the invariable consequence, with sometimes 

 the additional penalty of a broken rod. With practised fisher- 

 men of course these mishaps seldom occur, the Wrasse rarely 

 getting hooked without being brought ashore. They are but 

 little valued however, most anglers pronouncing them unfit for 

 the table a dictum we make bold to cw^radict ; and aver that, 

 when taken in the proper season, and judiciously cooked (an opera- 

 tion, be it remembered, on which very much depends), they form, 

 as Cockney epicures are wont to say, " most excellent good eating." 

 No fish adapted for the Aquarium are more curious and 

 interesting than the Pipe-fish, of which five or six different 

 species are to be met with around our shores. The long attenu- 

 ated body and the projecting snout of these fish give them a 

 very singular appearance, which is, however, admirably in 

 keeping with the eccentricity of their behaviour. When first 

 introduced to the Aquarium they are very wild and troublesome 

 and if the tank is not covered they are by no means unlikely tc 

 jump out and commit suicide. After a while, however, they 

 become reconciled to their confinement, and they are then very 

 entertaining. You are perhaps watching one of them prying 

 about inquisitively amongst the weeds and stones at the bottom 

 of the tank, when all of a sudden, as if tired of his work, he 

 mounts towards the surface, but half way up, stops short, and 

 coiling his long tapering tail once or twice round one of the 

 larger sea-weeds, he supports himself thus in mid-water like a 

 miniature acrobat. Occasionally two of them will very amicably 

 twine their tails together in a sort of lover's knot, and attach- 

 ing themselves side by side, stretch up towards the surface 

 together, remaining for hours in the same posture. 



