FISHES IN general: 305 



tvhich contains them. This amazing faculty has juftly excited cu- 

 riofity ; and feeras to fuggeft feme principle in the ftomach, yet unknown, 

 which a6ls in a different manner from all kinds of artificial maceration ; 

 and which is lodged in fifhes in a greater degree than in other creatures. 

 Ever hungry, and ever prowling, yet no animals can fuffer abftinence 

 fo long. The gold and filver filli we keep in vafes feem never to wane 

 nourifhment : whether they feed on water-infefts too minute for our ob- 

 fervation, or whether water alone is a fufficicnt fupply, is not evident; 

 but they are often feen for months without apparent fuflenance. What- 

 ever living thing fifhes are able to fwallow, becomes their food. 

 Some, that have very fmall mouths, feed upon worms and fpawn of other 

 fifh: others, whofe mouths are larger, feek larger prey. Thofe with the 

 largeft mouths purfue almoft every thing that has life; and often meet 

 each other in fierce oppofition; when the fifh with the largeft fwallow en-> 

 joys the viftory, and devours its antagonift. 



. Thus the life of a fifli is one fcene of hoftility, violence, and eva- 

 fion. The fmaller fry efcape, by fwimming into thofe (hallows v/here the 

 greater are unable to purfue. Yet, even in the (hallows, the muCfel, the 

 oyfter, and the fcallop, lie in ambufh at the bottom, with their (hells 

 open ; and whatever little fifh inadvertently approaches into con- 

 tad, they clofe their fhclls upon, and devour. The purfuit of fifhes 

 is not confined to a fingle region, or to one effort : fhoals of one 

 fpecies follow thofe of another through vaft trafts of ocean, from the vici- 

 nity of the pole down to the equator. The cod, from the banks of New- 

 foundland, purfues the whiting even to the Ihores of Spain. The ca- 

 chalot purfues herrings, and fwallows thoufands at a gulp. 



This may be one caufe of the annual migration of fifhes ; but 

 fifhes may be induced to change their place of refidence for one 

 more fuited to their conflitutions, or more adapted to depofiting their 

 fpawn. No fifh are fond ot z-ery cold water, but frequent places where it 

 is warmefl. Infummer, they affemble in the (hallows where the fun has 

 power to warm the water to the bottom ; in winter, they are found 

 deeper. 



AH fifh require air for their fupport. The whale kind breathe, and 

 come to the furface every two or three minutes for frelh infpiration : 

 but thofe which continue entirely under water, if totally deprived of air, 

 Avill expire in a very few minutes. Thus all the fifli of a pond die, when 

 the ice every where covers the furface, and keeps off the air. If a hole 

 be made in the ice, the fifh will be feen to come all to that part, for the 



M m 2 benefit 



