206 AUGUST. 



provided it be kept slightly wet, but soon dies on im- 

 mersion in fresh water. Those fish that swim deeply 

 are able to sustain life much longer than those that 

 swim near the surface ; and the former are more slug- 

 gish in their movements, and require less aerated water 

 for respiration. The more active are surface-swimmers. 

 The immersion in fresh water acts as a poison, death 

 not resulting from any variation in the respirable quality 

 of the water. If a Sea-scorpion, after being taken from 

 the sea, be constantly kept wet with salt water, it will 

 live for a considerable time, the gill-covers acting as if 

 surrounded by water. If the gills be kept wet and the 

 skin dry, the creature gets restless, croaks, the gills 

 move less rapidly than before, and it then dies at an 

 earlier period than when kept altogether moist. If the 

 gills be wetted with fresh water well aerated, life is 

 not so long retained, but the fish seems more active 

 for a time, and dies at last almost in a state of 

 plethora." 1 



According to Yarrell, " this species spawns in January, 

 and the ova at that time are very large and of a fine 

 orange- yellow colour. These are deposited near the 

 sea-shore, frequently in the estuaries, and sometimes 

 even in rivers ; the fish having prepared itself for this 

 change by its previous residence in the brackish water, 



1 Zoologist, p. 1403. 



