LUCKY PROACH. 203 



very manifest ; and the accident afforded me another 

 confirmation of what has been fondly denied, the 

 amazing energy of the poison -apparatus in the Ac- 

 TINOZOA. 



An assiduous searching of these hanging fringes of 

 fuci will be sure to yield a pleasing return of other 

 objects. Neglecting at this moment the Prawns, ^Esops, 

 Opossum-shrimps, Spider-crabs, and many other crus- 

 tacea, not to speak of other classes, let us direct our 

 thoughts exclusively to the fishes. You will get pro- 

 bably one or two specimens of that little bull-headed 

 rogue, the Father-lasher, 1 armed at all points, like a 

 knight in the fair time of chivalry. An impudent little 

 rascal he looks, and right villanous ; but whether he is 

 in truth guilty of whipping his paternal parent, this 

 deponent saith not. Big-headed, wide-mouthed, staring- 

 eyed, beset on all sides with hard spines as sharp as 

 needles, which he erects with threatening fierceness as 

 he anticipates your touch, this Lucky Proach, as our 

 northern friends name him, may not invite a close 

 acquaintance ; and indeed our fishermen generally jerk 

 him energetically out of the net as soon as they see 

 him, thinking themselves " lucky" to be well quit of his 

 prickles. 



1 Coitus Mbalis, two specimens of which are figured in the centre and 

 left corner of Plate xxiu. 



