THE COMMON RUFFE. 33 



He is in the highest degree voracious, and devours indif- 

 ferently small fishes, insects, worms, and soft-hodied animals 

 that are found attached to grass, stones, or other substances 

 lying in the water. He seldom if ever attempts to capture 

 anything that is at large, and in rapid motion. From this 

 cause, when he sees the worm or other bait appended to the 

 angler's hook stationary, he, without nibbling, as fishermen 

 would say, pounces upon it at once, and this more especially 

 if it be lying at the bottom. 



The ruffe is commonly in good condition, and the circum- 

 stance of his body being covered with a slimy matter, which 

 exudes from the oval depressions about the head and the 

 lateral line, makes him appear fat. If to this be added, that 

 so soon as taken out of the water, he spreads his fins, opens 

 his gills, and as it were, inflates his body " Han brostar 

 sig," as they say in Sweden ; that is, he swells in the 

 manner of a turkey-cock one can well understand his 

 nickname of " skatt-bonde," a term which is applied to a 

 peasant who, from holding his land under the Crown on 

 specially easy tenure, is, as compared with others of his 

 station, unusually well off. 



Owing to the slimy matter spoken of, this fish very often 

 goes also by a designation which there is some difficulty in 

 naming to ears polite, to wit, " Snor-gers," Snor implying 

 the mucous excretion from the nasal organ. 



The ruffe is very tenacious of life. It is said of him that, 

 as with some of the Cyprini, he can be kept alive a long 

 time if frozen as soon as captured, and afterwards thawed in 

 cold water. 



Though the flesh of this fish is firm, white, palatable, and 

 easy of digestion, it is but little in request with the upper 



VOL. I. D 



