88 



Crras'urj? of 



country the market for piping-bullfinches is 

 principally supplied. Other species are met 

 with in Asia, Africa, and America; but they 

 hardly require a distinct notice here. By 

 many naturalists they are made to constitute 

 a separate genus, called Pyrrlmla, after the 

 type which we have just described. 



BULL-FROG. [See FROG.] 



BULL-HEAD, or MILLER'S-THUMB. 



(Coitus gobio.} There are several species of 

 fish, inhabiting different climates, which are 

 denominated Bullheads ; bu it is the well- 

 knuwii River Bullhead, or Miller's Thumb, 

 ai^Acanthopterygious fish, which we are now 

 about to describe. This species is found in 

 clear brooks and rivers, in most parts of 



Europe. It is only four or five inches long ; 

 the head is of a roundish shape, large, broad, 

 and depressed ; the gill-fins are round, and 

 beautifully notched at their circumference ; 

 and the rays of all the fins are prettily 

 spotted. The mouth is large, and full of 

 small teeth ; the general colour of the body 

 is a dark brownish black ; the sides lighter, 

 with small black spots ; and the under sur- 

 face of the head and belly white. It is so 

 remarkably stupid, that whatever number 

 may be together, the most inexpert angler 

 may catcli them all. It is generally found 

 among loose stones, under which, from the 

 1 peculiarly flattened form of its head, it is 

 | enabled to thrust itself, and thus to find a 

 hiding place. Mr. Yarrell, in his truly na- 

 tional work " The British Fishes," (the 

 wood-cut illustrations of which are such 

 ! models of excellency,) so amusingly accounts 

 I for the popular names of this fish, that we 

 ! take the liberty of borrowing his words : 

 I " As the term Bullhead is considered to 

 I refer to the large size of the head, so the 

 name of Miller's Thumb given to this spe- 

 i cies, it has been said, is suggested by, and 

 I intended to have reference to, the particular 

 ' form of the same part. The head of the fish, 

 i it will be observed, is smooth, broad, and 

 I rounded, and is said to resemble exactly the 

 | form of the thumb of a miller, as produced 

 I by a peculiar and constant action of the 

 i muscles in the exercise of a particular and 

 most important part of his occupation. It 

 is well known that all the science and tact 

 I of a miller is directed so as to regulate the 

 | machinery of his mill, that the meal pro- 

 | duced shall be of the most valuable descrip- 

 tion that the operation of grinding will 

 permit when performed under the most ad- 



vantageous circumstances. His profit or hi 

 loss, even his fortune or his ruin, depend 

 upon the exact adjustment of all the various 

 parts of the machinery in operation. The 

 miller's ear is constantly directed to the note 

 made by the running-stone in its circular 

 course over the bed-stone, the exact paral- 

 lelism of their two surfaces, indicated by a 

 particular sound, being a matter of the first 

 consequence : and his hand is as constantly 



iaced under the meal-spout, to ascertain 



and qui 

 of the meal produced. The thumb by 



placed 

 by actu 



al contact the character and qualities 



particular movement spreads the sample I 

 over the fingers ; the thumb is the guage of I 

 the value of the produce, and hence has i 

 arisen the sayings of " Worth a miller's 

 thumb ; " and " An honest miller hath a 

 golden thumb ; " in reference to the amount 

 of the profit that is the reward of his skill. 

 By this incessant action of the miller's 

 thumb, a peculiarity in its form is produced, 

 which is said to resemble exactly the shape 

 of the head of the fish constantly found in 

 the mill-stream, and has obtained for it the 

 name of the Miller's Thumb, which occurs 

 in the comedy of " Wit at several Weapons," 

 by Beaumont and Fletcher, act v. scene 1. ; 

 and also in Merrett's " Pinax." Although 

 the improved machinery of the present time 

 has diminished the necessity for the miller's 

 skill in the mechanical department, the 

 thumb is still constantly resorted to as the 

 best test for the quality of the flour." 



The ARMED BULLHEAD, or POGGE, 

 (Cottus aspidophorus,) is found in the Baltic 

 and Northern seas, and is also taken on the 

 British coasts. It seldom exceeds six inches 

 in length ; small crustaceous animals and 

 aquatic insects are its food ; and its flesh is 

 said to be firm and good. The head is large, 

 bony, and very rugged ; the end of the nose 

 is armed with four short upright spines; and 

 the chin is furnished with several minute 

 cirri. The mouth is small, as are the teeth, 

 which are very numerous. The body is di- 

 vided longitudinally by eight scaly ridges, 

 and is defended by eight rows of strong scaly 

 plates, of which the elevated ridges form the 

 central lines. The pectoral fins are large, 

 with a broad bar of brown across the centre; 

 the general colour of the upper surface of 

 the body brown, with four broad dark brown 

 bands ; tail brown ; and the under parts of 

 the body nearly white. 



The SIX-HORNED BULLHEAD (Cottus 

 hexacornis) is a North American species, 

 about seven inches long. The head is large 

 and depressed, and on it are six nail-shaped 

 processes standing erect ; the eyes are large ; 

 the mouth is capacious, its margins formed 

 by the intermaxillaries and lower jaw; both 

 jaws and the vomer are set with bands of 

 fine teeth; the gill-covers are composed of 

 several bones connected by membrane, and 

 armed on their exterior edges with four or 

 five small spinous teeth: the bones which 

 support the pectoral fins are also armed 

 with small spines, arid have sharp rough 

 edges. The body is much narrower than 

 the head, and tapers to the insertion of the 

 caudal fin. The upper aspect of this fish 



